I received a great blessing this past July – a daughter-in-law. Matt and Alyssa wed on July 16. As anyone who has been even remotely involved with a wedding knows, the preparation for the big day is almost overwhelming – reserving the church and reception hall, selecting a menu, picking colors, choosing a dress, designing the invitations. Thankfully, the list of responsibilities for the mother of the groom is less daunting. Even so, the preparations took months.
Another preparation was for the couple themselves - intense marriage counseling. Matt and Alyssa are fortunate to be connected with a former Young Life area director and his wife, who took them under their wings, and counseled them on marriage and life issues. The counselors met with the couple for months and challenged them to get their hearts and minds prepared for the marriage.
This preparation of heart and mind for the marital union reminded me of the preparation I should be making for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. What would my Christmas be like if I used Advent to prepare for the blessed day as intensely as I prepared for Matt and Alyssa’s wedding?
How can we prepare our hearts for the special gift that is Christmas? I’ll need to be intentional and focus on what really matters. Through prayer, study and fellowship with other Christians, I’ll find the Hope, Love, Joy and Peace that Christ brings.
The lectionary for this week includes Matthew 1:18 -25. Verse 23 says “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel – which means ‘God with us.’ ” That reminded me of a verse that is a continual source of comfort for me – Matthew 28: 20 “. . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” I can certainly find Hope, Love, Joy and Peace in that promise.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for this Advent season and pray that you’ll guide us as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the birth of your Son and His Coming. Amen.
Shelly Shideler
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