An Advent Thought

A prayer from Robert D. Hershey:

“[Not that many] shopping days 'till Christmas. That, dear God, is bad news. It's not just the shopping, but everything else too: getting presents, buying cards, writing, mailing, baking, meals, parties. Can it be, Lord, that I'm working on the wrong things? Help me to concentrate on the right thing: the good news of your coming again into this darkened world with light and hope. After all, getting ready for Christmas shouldn't mean pressure and weariness at all, but quiet minds and hearts spilling over with joy. Amen.”

For once I think I'm pretty well ready for Christmas. Oh, there are still a few sermons to write. Just a couple more presents to decide on and get wrapped, a few calls to be made, but for the most part I'm ahead of the game.

Why do I feel like Advent has been stolen from me once again?

Maybe if I take a deep breath, slow down, relax, think about what this holy season is about...

God took flesh and lived among us! How amazing is that! He came not in a palace, not in a holy place, not delivered by spaceship, not beamed in and then beamed out when the going got tough.

God took flesh and was carried by a teenage mom and was born – in a barn – a feed trough for a crib! A refugee soon afterwards! An outcast, rejected, condemned, killed for us. The pioneer who defeated death – and all for you and for me!

And he will come again! Jesus will come again and bring the fullness of the Kingdom of God to us! Where all will be as God made it to be. We as we were made to be - in relationship – face to face relationship with our God just as we were meant to have from the beginning.

Breathe that in!

Let God's presence and promise wash over you.

Even for a moment amidst the busyness.

Let our hearts spill with your joy.

Thank you Jesus!