Advent Day Thirteen - Friday, December 9

“And the Child, Yeshua, continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” (Luke 2:40)

I may not be different from many of you. My parents prepared the way for Jesus in my life from the time I was born. They made sure I was in Sunday School, Church, choirs, VBS, Sunbeams (who remembers that?), then RA’s and anything else I could join. They never gave any pressure to us about going; it was just accepted that we go to church and are involved in the programs. And I liked it and learned much. From flannelgraph lessons to music games and songs, to learning to sit still in ‘big church’ and calling adults by Mr. and Mrs. Instead of their first names. Then, one Saturday night when I was eleven or so, my mom was studying her Sunday School lesson and she began to ask me some gentle, easy questions about me and what I believed. She led me to Christ that night and I followed it up with a preacher meeting the next week. I was baptized on Easter Sunday and have done my best to follow Jesus ever since. I have not always been the most successful at it, but I know that He has forgiven me for the slips and stumbles….and that’s the important thing.

Since that time, I have grown much in my knowledge of God and such things. I experienced at call to ministry as a High School Junior and have spent most of my adult life serving in various ministry positions. From a staff Minister, to a ministry assistant, to now as a musician and scribe for the Lord. The above verse speaks so much to me because it is much like my life (except my name isn’t Yeshua.

I think it is important during this season to take a step back and think about your early walk with God and with Jesus. Remember where you came from and how you’ve grown. You may have come to this relationship early in life or later in life; it doesn’t matter because you are in it now. And we all should be growing. Have you drifted away? Have you stayed close? Can you remember the joy you felt? Do you still feel it? Or, has it just gotten “comfortable?” Before you go any further into the Advent season, it is important to remember. Just like during Lent when we focus on Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross and our response to that, now I focus on preparing my heart and my life for the celebration of Christ’s birth.

Please know that from today on, as we hit the midway point of Advent, that I will be praying for each of you. And I encourage you to pray for each other and for me. We’re in for a journey of Love and pure Awe as we approach the day of Christmas.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift!