Devotional 12-5-07

Lectionary Reading: Matthew 24:23-35.
v.29: “Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. v. 30: Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory.”

I’ve had the “blues” lately. There seems to be no real cause and I’ve been able to keep up with the essentials of life so that not very many people have noticed my predicament. I get my list of things done and show up for meetings and events as before. But my heart aches. I don’t know exactly what it aches for, but I’m sure that my spirit is in need. I’ve been reading and studying; praying and listening, but I haven’t heard the answer yet.

I know that God is at work in my life, even though this time of fear and “angst” feels very much like a valley. I believe that God is with us at all times, but especially during the rough and rugged patches. I know this because I’ve read the stories in the scriptures and I’ve witnessed it in many people’s lives. I also lived through a couple of valleys, myself. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for You are with me.”

I also believe that it is during our times spent in the valleys of life that God is pruning and molding our lives for some new purpose. My friend Linda was a potter—molding grayish clay into beautiful bowls and vases. She had to put a great deal of pressure on the clay to mold it into the form she wanted. Without the pressure, the new form would not appear. She then had to fire the clay in a kiln. Without the whole process of molding, drying, glazing and firing, the beauty of the clay would be missed by our eyes.

I think that the people of Israel were in a terribly burdensome valley when God decided that what they needed was a change. He sent the baby Jesus into their world to mold and fire them into new spirits. But, although they were in the valley, they didn’t really want to change and they didn’t understand why they had to endure the pressures of that time. They, like most of us, just want to gripe and complain about the valley. (I don’t really want to learn the lessons of the valley—I just want to feel “happy” again.)

The disciples didn’t understand the concepts Jesus was using to instruct them. He gave them (and us ) signs so that we could begin to understand. But just like being in my valley of “blues”, we don’t understand the meaning of the story. God must be a very patient entity, because generation after generation seems to need to learn the same lessons of surrender and grace.

As we live through this Advent season, may we look at the “pressures” of the season with a new vision. May we know that God, who loves us as His own children, is calling us to surrender all of our cares and concerns to Him. As we await the Baby’s arrival, help us to remember the purpose of the baby’s birth was and is to save us from ourselves and our own sin.

Prayer: Holy Father, we know that you love us and are always with us. We are so grateful for our ongoing relationship with You. Help us to understand that the valleys of life are meant for our growth and renewal. Continue to mold and fire our lives for Your purpose. Give us the vision and understanding to appreciate the mountaintops after our time spent in the valley. Help us to persevere through the valley of Advent for the reward of the Baby Jesus’ birth. We Love you, Baby Jesus. Thank you God! Amen.

Chyrl Budd