Unanswered Prayers, Unexpected (difficult) Circumstances and Unlikely Callings: The Characters of Christmas

Thinking about Christmas this season I imagined this heavenly scenario:

 All of Heaven shudders as the crunch of the apple in Eve’s mouth echoes throughout Paradise.  The angels watch in silent despair to see what the Father will do. Heartbroken He leaves them to talk to Adam and Eve, to cover their nakedness with the first sacrifice that will lead to more bloodshed than could ever be imagined.  When He returns Jesus asks Him, “Papa, is it time?” Jesus knows the Plan. He has known all along. Though He hoped it wouldn’t come to this He is ready and willing. “No, not yet,” God mournfully replies, “They are not ready.” Centuries pass and like many times before Jesus asks, “Papa, is it time?” And this time God looks down at His Chosen people, His eyes smile when He sees Mary softly singing praises to Him as she prepares for her wedding day…”Yes, it is time. Gabriel, go and prepare Mary for my Son.”

I think my favorite verse in the whole Christmas story is, “For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37).  These are Gabriel’s last words to Mary. Nothing is impossible with God. Not even restoration after the separation we caused with that first crunch of the apple. Only He can heal all the hurt, disease, bloodshed that it has caused on earth ever since. And He uses the most unlikely folks as part of His plans.

The Christmas story is full of people the world (including us) would have never chosen. An old priest with decades worth of an unanswered prayer – a request he struggles to believe God is able to fulfill after so many years of silence. Can you relate? Do you have an answered prayer from long ago? God might be saying “that’s not my best for you.” Or like with this doubting priest He might be saying, “not yet”.

Then there is a young Jewish girl on the fringes of society and living under Roman oppression. And when God does work a miracle through her the circumstances are hardly what she or we would have chosen. Have you ever answered God’s call and then had things turn out drastically differently than you imagined? Mary could relate! But she was truly right in the middle of God’s will for her and the most important miracle ever. And yet I imagine a cave miles from home was hardly the birth center she imagined.

And then there are those blue-collar missionaries. A rough group of men tending sheep that were likely used for sacrifice in the temple. Sheep on land that king David had used to shepherd centuries before (1 Sam. 17:15).  Shepherd’s told of the Ultimate Good Shepherd and Lamb for sacrifice to come. It’s hard to miss the foreshadowing here and this part of the story is packed with meaning for us to discover. I don’t know about you, but I’m a pretty unlikely candidate to carry His message of hope, and yet like the shepherds He uses people like you and me.

These are the characters that God uses to write His story of redemption.  And in each of their lives we can identify, we can find courage and we can hope.  If He used them, He can use us.

I’m reading through Revelation this month and thinking about Jesus’ return to earth to finish what He started so many centuries ago.

“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom , priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. I am the Alpha an dhte Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”  (Rev. 1:5-7)

This is Who we worship. This is what we live for. This is why we labor. This is Who we celebrate this season and Who we wait expectantly to return. In the midst of unanswered prayers, unexpected difficult circumstances and unlikely callings, lets take a few minutes to remember He is with us through it all and praise and thank God that He came and He is coming again. Because Nothing is impossible with God.

My Brilliant Idea

I recently spent some time with a group of younger ladies that are all staff training with the Navs. I was challenged by several them sharing with the group how scripture more sustains them to keep growing with God. I have let memorization slide the past semester and decided my application from our  time would be to renew that habit. Since I'm not sure what drawer I stashed my verse pack in six months ago I'm writing it all out. But this morning as I was reviewing from the app on my phone I had the great idea (and we know where all great ideas really come from) to take a screen shot of the verses and save them as my screen/wallpaper. Now every time I turn on my phone (which is 100times a day) I am automatically reminded to review that verse! And I know I won't stash my phone away to forget for months on end. 

If you have other tricks for memorizing I would love to hear them!

Advent - Light Arriving

Baby Jesus is born...light enters the world again. Perfection. Holiness. Clarity.  We can finally see what our hearts knew all along...we were dwelling in deep darkness.  Blinded by our own sin. Light pushes the darkness back making room to dwell with us, in us...Immanuel. 

In Him there is no darkness at all. (1 Jn 1:5)

Our souls long for this - we were made for this - we crave His goodness and Love. 
The darkness numbs our hunger but always leaves us wanting more. 
The light fills every crevice of our hearts, sneaking through the cracks, creeping in and satisfying.  The darkness cannot hold it back. With Christ's birth the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. (1 Jn 2:8)

Welcome Lord Jesus.