From 21 Gifts of Advent by Janelle Keith
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.Matthew 24:44 NIV
The Gift of Preparation
So how do you prepare for Christmas? How do you not get lost in the stress, parties, and chaos of shopping? How do you celebrate old traditions with new ideas? Where is the peace among men in the craziness of it all? Where is the joy in an empty chair around the dinner table?
How do we do this year after year? Let’s go back to the first Christmas for answers.
How does one prepare to mother the Savior of the world? Is there a training manual specific to this special role in motherhood? There was no internet in the stable! How would Mary know what to do?
Surely, Mary dreamed about having a baby. As a mom myself, it’s safe to say that we all wonder what our children will become. We ask God for healthy babies full of giggles and grins. We prepare for the best birth experience, but every mom wants to skip over the painful process of delivery.
Mary couldn't have known the hard place of pain. Little did she know as she watched her young baby breathing new life, she would also see His last breath. She couldn't have known that she would be a witness to His death for her sins or the sins of those who put Him there. I can’t imagine the pain in a mother’s heart as she says goodbye to a child for the last time.
Mary’s response sounds simple. "May it be as You have said..." speaks of her purity of faith. Simple faith in new things and new places of waiting. New feelings of a mother's joy, followed by long days of painful, weighty sorrow. No, Mary, you couldn't have known the Savior’s life was going to end in a horrible way. Her faith can encourage us to trust God more in every season.
Advent reflection: Mary’s pure faith gives us strength and was proven strong in her preparation. Faith itself is a gift and God's great love comforts each of us in the preparation days for whatever is ahead. And even though we don’t know what the days ahead hold, we must have faith in the One who does.
So how do you prepare for Christmas? How do you not get lost in the stress, parties, and chaos of shopping? How do you celebrate old traditions with new ideas? Where is the peace among men in the craziness of it all? Where is the joy in an empty chair around the dinner table?
How do we do this year after year? Let’s go back to the first Christmas for answers.
How does one prepare to mother the Savior of the world? Is there a training manual specific to this special role in motherhood? There was no internet in the stable! How would Mary know what to do?
Surely, Mary dreamed about having a baby. As a mom myself, it’s safe to say that we all wonder what our children will become. We ask God for healthy babies full of giggles and grins. We prepare for the best birth experience, but every mom wants to skip over the painful process of delivery.
Mary couldn't have known the hard place of pain. Little did she know as she watched her young baby breathing new life, she would also see His last breath. She couldn't have known that she would be a witness to His death for her sins or the sins of those who put Him there. I can’t imagine the pain in a mother’s heart as she says goodbye to a child for the last time.
Mary’s response sounds simple. "May it be as You have said..." speaks of her purity of faith. Simple faith in new things and new places of waiting. New feelings of a mother's joy, followed by long days of painful, weighty sorrow. No, Mary, you couldn't have known the Savior’s life was going to end in a horrible way. Her faith can encourage us to trust God more in every season.
Advent reflection: Mary’s pure faith gives us strength and was proven strong in her preparation. Faith itself is a gift and God's great love comforts each of us in the preparation days for whatever is ahead. And even though we don’t know what the days ahead hold, we must have faith in the One who does.
**********************************
Prayer:Father,
Thank You for the measure of faith You have given to each of us. Thank You that nothing can separate us from Your great love. For it is written, Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank You for Christ's sacrifice to save us. As we prepare to commemorate His birth, keep us ever mindful of His whole life poured out to fulfill Your wondrous plan for our salvation. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment