Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Second Week of Advent - Peace

We are in the midst of the second week of Advent and "peace" is what I am meditating on. Every year when my children have asked me what I want for Christmas, my answer is always, Peace. They usually roll their eyes and say, "Oh mom, come on just tell me what you want for Christmas". The truth is, I do just want peace. Peace in this world, peace in my family, peace in my job, peace in my church, just good ol' fashion peace. And this year my yearning for peace is magnified with the reality that my 21 year old nephew is in Afghanistan fighting a war in a country that is so mysterious to me. Everyday I put my faith and trust in God that Ben will come home safely when his tour is done.

Peace. It is that calming, meditative state that only can be obtained after the chaos, struggles, challenges and war is over. What we have to go through to obtain peace can put most of us over the edge. But it is that calmness and serenity that makes us persevere through it all to be able to be in a place of peace.

In the months, weeks and days leading up to the birth of Christ, Joseph and Mary's lives were anything but peaceful. To be a young unmarried girl facing the realization of being with child must have been overwhelming and frightening at times. For Joseph the impending time of the birth of Mary's child was most likely a time of preparing, questioning and searching. There was so much for both of them to try and understand that their minds must have been going non stop. Questions of "What will people say?", "How will people react?" and "Why me?" must have been spoken between the two of them in the weeks before Mary's body would show the growing roundness of her belly. Peace was not around them as the time came for Mary to give birth and there was no where for her to lie down. The sounds of the animals around them in the stable and the cries of a newborn baby as he took his first breath would have broken any peaceful silence on that night so long ago.

But peace is what was brought into the world that night as Christ was born. The peace of knowing that God's greatest gift had come to save us all. Where there was chaos, anger, struggles and war, peace would surpass it all. As Christ lay in the arms of Mary, and as Joseph, the shepherds and animals gathered around, peace rang out through all the land as the voices of angels were heard singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men".

Blessings,
Jill

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

First Week of Advent - Hope

Today is the first day of the last month of 2010 and we are in the midst of the first week of Advent. The air is cold and the Christmas holiday is upon us. This first week of Advent always gives me Hope for what Christmas and the New Year will bring. Hope is found throughout the entire Bible. The Israelites had hope when they left Egypt and traveled for forty years and then found themselves standing on the edge of the promised land. Noah had hope when he built the ark and watched it rain for forty days and forty nights and then was greeted by an amazing rainbow in the sky. Job had hope as he endured loss, pain, discomfort and then was blessed by God. Sarah had hope that she would give birth to a child and then watched as her stomach grew and her child was born. Hope is what gives us the will to go on. Hope is what gives us the endurance to survive. Hope is what is given to us as we await the coming of Christ. Hope for peace, joy and love in our families, our lives and in our world. Hope is what I have as I pray for my nephew to return safely home from serving in Afghanistan. Hope is what I have as I watch a world torn apart by war, disease and natural disasters, that one day we will live in peace, cures will be found for diseases and no one will go hungry. Hope is what I have as I pray for those who do not have Christ in their lives that they to will find peace in the love of Jesus. During this Advent I pray that you too will find Hope in your lives. May the anticipation of Christmas fill your life with the Hope of a new tomorrow, the Hope of a better world and the Hope that one day all will rejoice in the love of God.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13

Blessings,
Jill