I had this written yesterday but didn't get a chance to post it until now...
Waking to a winter wonderland…
Not what I expected first thing this morning. I wasn’t even out of bed yet when Mom called to tell me snow had fallen…lots of it. I’d made it as far as half my hair clipped up to begin the straightening process when the doorbell rang. It was Dad, informing me he’d just driven 30 miles an hour all the way to town, so I needed to leave extra early because the roads were bad. (Wonder what his excuse is the rest of the time he drives 30? JUST KIDDIN’ DAD!!)
I’m not the world’s best snow driver. In fact, I may be the worst. The thought of launching out on the open road did not sound appealing. Neither did visiting a church that wasn’t mine. I sat in my office for about a half hour, alternately crying out of frustration and watching the spot recently vacated by the neighbor’s car. I noticed it wasn’t filling up so fast. In fact…I noticed the big old Hollywood-esque flakes had stopped almost entirely.
Time to be a big girl. Did I not just change my own showerhead yesterday? All by myself? And did it not work? I could drive to church. I poured the coffee, got in the car, and prayed my way out of the driveway. This is how bad it was: a cop got behind me for about 10 miles and I was glad. Anytime I’m glad to see a cop, you know something is dreadfully wrong.
Forty-five minutes later I was safely in the parking lot of my church, and my car still had all its parts. And it hadn’t acquired any extra ones.
During the sermon, our pastor read from Isaiah 64:
Since ancient times, no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? (vv.4-5)
And I knew right then why I needed to be in that service, regardless of the snow that almost kept me home.
Two years ago I wrote an advent devotional during a Christmas season that found me struggling to find any holiday spirit aside from presents, cards, baking, and sparkly décor. That year I learned what Advent really meant, aside from candles and chocolate-laden countdowns. Earlier this month I made the decision to study that project again. To read the words I’d written in a time of learning and see if perhaps I can even learn more…more about the God Who came down to help those who sought Him. The God Who came to save. And this morning’s sermon confirmed that’s exactly what I must do.
Christmas is busy. I know my calendar is already pretty full and I’ll probably pull more than a few juggling acts to make it to more than one event on the same day. But I am determined to make time in each of those December days to read about Jesus’ advent to the 24 lives I studied two years ago.
And I hope this December brings to me a fresh understanding and depth of relationship with the God who answered the question, How then can we be saved?
12 hours ago
5 comments:
Bekah:
Good one. No matter how we approach Christmas, Advent, "Jesus' Birthday"; the quest remains the same: How can I know more of Him as a reality, not just as a concept?
btw, I, too, hate driving in snow. Even a dusting on the ground makes me a bit nervous.
Bekah,
I had to laugh when I read about your awakening to the snow. We were in your neck of the woods this weekend and woke up to the same thing.
As we drove past your new church (at least, I thought that's where you were going now) I told Andrew that's where you were going. He wondered if you would brave the snow. I said I knew you'd be there, despite the snow. You wouldn't like driving in it, but you'd be there.
Good to know some things never change!
By the way...we now have snow forcast all week long. Is it spring yet?emmurl
Tsofah -
I'm always trying to find ways to "get into" what I read in the Bible and not just read it as some story from way back when. I love feeling that connection when I can crawl into the page...so to speak.
Christina - yeah you probably passed it! And yes, I braved it. Why? because that's waht we do in our family.
And YES - bring on spring.
"How then can we be saved?"
I know! I know!
We seek first the kingdom... We seek first Him... And the blood of our Redeemer provides the grace we need... At the point of our turning from the world... At the point of our repentance.
Chris - Well said! :)
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