When I was pregnant with my first child, I did what many expectant moms do—I waited with excitement and hope for my baby. I learned that the deep sense of expectant waiting that I felt during pregnancy had a name and a season in the Christian world: Advent.

Whereas Christmas is the fulfillment of God’s promises, the weeks of Advent are the symbol of our hopeful expectation of God coming to us to fulfill His promises. These weeks can teach us so much about what it means to follow God—in the best and worst of times.