Well the season of Advent is officially over, and once again Christmas has come and gone.

And while a rare few people are glad it's over because now they can get back to their routines, most seem to feel a bit depressed today with the post-Christmas blues. We were high on the excitement and the buzz, but now it's over (my daughter Kayla even tried to convince me last night that Christmas was a 3-day affair).

Some of us get depressed because our expectations for the holiday were not met and we have to wait a whole year to try again. Others of us are depressed because we did have a great time with family and friends but it just didn't last long enough (my daughter Kayla would fall in this category).

Either way, the day after Christmas leaves many of us searching for the next big thing to look forward to. And for that reason, I think the day after Christmas is a great picture of the spiritual reality in which we live.

We live in the "Already-But-Not-Yet" reality of Jesus' kingdom.

Jesus has come already and has paid for the redemption and reconciliation of all things. He said from the cross, "It Is Finished" because he was the ultimate payment for the sin and brokenness of the world.

But it hasn't all been ushered in yet. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have been declared justified and righteous by God.......but we still struggle with sin. We are heirs of God's eternal kingdom.....but we still suffer loss and heartache in this broken world. We are empowered by God's very own spirit......but we still must deal with the limits of our weak human flesh.

Essentially, the penalty for our sins have been paid for.......the power that sin has over us is being broken more and more each day.....but we still await the day when we will be saved from the presence of sin completely.

Whatever feelings you have on this day after Christmas - embrace them. And let them fuel you.

Let them fuel you to look forward to more than just the next holiday, or the next family gathering, or the next day off from school.

Let them fuel you to look forward with great anticipation to the 2nd Advent of our Savior, when he comes to bring us all the gifts that he has purchased already.