Devotional 12-7-20

 Psalm 126 (CEB)

¹ When the LORD changed Zion’s circumstances for the better, it was like we had been dreaming. ² Our mouths were suddenly filled with laughter; our tongues were filled with joyful shouts. It was even said, at that time, among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them!” ³ Yes, the LORD has done great things for us, and we are overjoyed. ⁴ LORD, change our circumstances for the better, like dry streams in the desert waste! ⁵ Let those who plant with tears reap the harvest with joyful shouts. ⁶ Let those who go out, crying and carrying their seed, come home with joyful shouts, carrying bales of grain!

What a year this has been! My personality makes me prone to wallow in sadness and misery. I mean, there is nothing more fulfilling than dwelling on the huge list of things we cannot do this year, right? How weird Advent is now, and why bother trying to find any joy in Christmas? There will be empty places at the table, there will be empty hearts, longing for past Christmases. There will be no large choral celebrations. Forget caroling door to door. The title of the carol “In the Bleak Midwinter” has never seemed more appropriate. I was sad even as I began to write this. I was bummed that I had to sit down and try to find something hopeful to say about Advent. 

And I read this Psalm. Its hopefulness and joy lifted me up. My friend just reminded me that the Messiah comes again, whether or not we are ready. Well, whether or not we are even interested. The Messiah’s birth brings hope. Remember the weekly advent themes? Hope, peace, joy, love. I thought of the words from the hymn “…strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside. Great is thy faithfulness…” May we have the strength that is required to exist in these trying times. May we keep hope for the better days that await us. May we try to experience the calm of God’s peace. May we try to find some joy this season. And may we open our hearts with love as we wait for the birth of the Messiah. It’s a different year. And my prayer is that we will find some new meaning in Advent as we experience those differences. 
My favorite Dr. Seuss quote ever:  “And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ‘till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

Bruce Rous