Mary’s Testimony

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from December 17, 2009]

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be. The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’ He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”
The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For everything spoken by God is possible.”
Mary said, “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word.”    Luke 1:26-39 (WEB)

We often read this passage with joy. We smile and think of a young girl who has been chosen by God for what could arguably be the greatest ‘call’ ever given by God. And she, Mary, bows her head and says, “Yes.” It would be foolish and very short-sighted if we didn’t read at least the entire gospel of Luke, with special attention to chapters 2, 23, and 24. Mary was there in that cold barn giving birth to Jesus and she was there on Calvary watching Him die.

Mary showed us that yes, we are to respond obediently to God’s call. She also showed us that He will supply all of our needs for that call… including courage and strength for whatever comes on our journey in that call. Mary showed us that we can ask questions, even obvious questions. Don’t be surprised if God’s answer may stretch our faith!

The angel, God’s messenger, gave more than the message. He answered questions. He gave a testimony that Mary would understand and receive. He told her that her cousin, Elizabeth, had received a miracle. It made his next sentence “For everything spoken by God is possible.” actually believable to Mary. That’s what testimonies do.

Take time today and read Mary’s prayer in verses 46-55. Read it in your own Bible that you are familiar and then read it in The Living Bible or The Message. Allow it to come in your heart as a testimony “For everything spoken by God is possible.”

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Counting My Blessings

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

My life is down in the dust; give me life through Your word.
I told You about my life, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes.
Help me understand the meaning of Your precepts so that I can meditate on Your wonders.     Psalm 119:25-27 (HCSB)

It is that time of the year when everyone is happy and having fun! There is no sadness or stress about – oh, say – how to pay bills, how to explain to your children that there won’t be presents, illness, relationships, etc., etc. Twice in my adult life my employers did cutbacks on December 1st. I did not lose my job but many co-workers did. There were no severance packages, just an awful one-on-one meeting that ended with them going home in shock, struggling to think of what they might say to their families.

I remember sitting on my floor pallet in my bedroom one night after I was divorced. My three children and I had moved into a new place. There had been a house full of their friends there that night. It was quiet and I was picking up my Bible. I felt so alone. “Where are You, God?” And I heard His Spirit speak to mine, “Count your blessings, Jody.” I was sitting on a blanket on the floor. That was my bed. I was alone for the first time in my life with the responsibility to care for three children who were hurting from the break-up of their family. Count my blessings??? Like a child, I thought of the alphabet and wondered if I could think of something to be thankful for that began with the letter ‘A’. To my surprise, I could think of something or someone who began with ‘A’ and ‘B’ and ‘C’ and…before I knew it I was tearfully thinking of many things.

That little exercise has come back to me again and again in the last 15 years. When I lay my head down for the night and feel “my life is down in the dust”, I start counting my blessings through the alphabet! It isn’t always easy. My flesh and the world seem to verbalize their evaluation of my life like they are speaking through a bullhorn! And it isn’t as though what I hear is totally wrong. There is some basis in reality! That’s the problem with distinguishing “right” from “wrong”. It is rarely “so right” or “so wrong”. “Right” in my life must translate into what is “God” in my life. Even suffering can be part of God and what He is doing.

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NLT)

So if you are in a “fiery trial” right now and struggling to stay focused on God’s blessings in your life, take time to exercise your spiritual muscles. We find our perfect rest when we have spent time in a work out with Jesus.

Count Your Blessings by Irving Berlin (1954) Take time to listen and keep singing this song every day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTQrNQm3yZQ&feature=related

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My Job – no, Life Description

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Lectionary texts: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, Psalm 126, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, John 1:6-8, 19-28

There was a man named John who was sent from God.
He came as a witness to testify about the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.      John 1:6-8 (HCSB)

There was a girl named Jody who was sent from God.
She came as a witness to testify about Jesus, so that everyone who knew her, knew Him.
She wasn’t perfect like Him but she came to tell about Jesus who was perfect. – my paraphrase

It is much easier for me to read the passage from John, see the beauty of that whole chapter than to hear the Spirit of God put my name into the passage.

“Oh, no, that isn’t about me! I’m no ‘John the Baptist’! I’m just a girl from the Midwest who’s raised her children and is looking forward to gliding through to my reward.” Is that the way God sees my life?

The Isaiah 61 passage (repeated by Jesus in Luke 4:14-21) also gives a testimony of someone called by God to deliver His message of love to His children. Psalm 126 gives such encouragement to those who trust in the LORD. And 1 Thessalonians 5 passage gives a list of spiritual exercises that will build our relationship into the strong covenant that God desires that it be. He is faithful and will fulfill more than His promises.

Yes, God has sent us – everyone of us – with a message. We are to tell about Jesus. If we know Him, then He has already done something in our lives.

He came to earth – fully human, fully God.

He walked in the dirt of this life to show us how to live this life joyously no matter our circumstances.

He has given us eternal life through His death on the cross.

He rose in power, conquering death for all time.

He has prepared a place for us to live forever with Him.

God doesn’t call me to be perfection. He is perfection. He calls me to be transparent so that it is not my name that people remember – but the name of Jesus.

The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and temple helpers to ask John who he was. He told them plainly, “I am not the Messiah.” Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, “No, I am not!” And when they asked if he were the Prophet, he also said “No!” Finally, they said, “Who are you then? We have to give an answer to the ones who sent us. Tell us who you are!”

John answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I am only someone shouting in the desert, `Get the road ready for the Lord!’ “

Some Pharisees had also been sent to John. They asked him, “Why are you baptizing people, if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”

John told them, “I use water to baptize people. But here with you is someone you don’t know. Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals.”    John 1:19-27 (CEV)

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Where’s the Line?

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”         Luke 2:8-12 (NLT)

“Jesus is the Reason for the Season” has gone from a jingle to a battle cry in recent Christmases. I am going to step firmly on some toes and suggest that we stop shouting and shaking our fists and

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect….     1 Peter 3:15 (NIV, emphasis mine)

Do we shout and shake our fists at our children? Are they not the ones we (as Christians) are trying to “protect” from Santa Claus? Let’s try teaching them like a disciple of Jesus Christ would.

Jesus came and who He was drew children to Him like – a cute puppy or kitten just makes a child have to come over and touch.

I bet it was His eyes. We know that it is impossible for us to grasp the full extent of God’s love so I bet that love just flowed out of Jesus’ eyes. Children zero in on the eyes of people they meet. Have you ever had an infant look you straight in the eye and smile? People say “it’s gas”. I don’t believe it. They do not have the verbal skills to communicate so they connect with their eyes and indicate their approval or disapproval with a smile because what is the first expression an infant learns but a smile from their parents, grandparents… everyone who sees that infant has a smile!

His hands. I see them as the hands of a carpenter that are broad of palm, rough and callused, and yet so light and gentle of touch. A child knows love through the touch that is given to them.

His attention. I can easily see and comprehend how finite was Jesus’ time on earth to do what He was tasked to do. He shows me that time here is limited. And Jesus gave 100% of His attention, His life to hear the Father and do and speak what He was given – not one syllable more or less. So when His attention was turned to someone – they got 100% of His attention. Children respond to focused attention. If I give my child a “yeah, uh-huh, whatever” as a response to their cry for my attention, their response will either be rejection and despair or anger and destruction. But if I give them 100%, the response will be more positive and constructive.

Let us teach (educate, show) our children about Jesus. Let us read to them His stories (like they have read stories of Santa). Let us share personal stories of what Jesus has brought into our lives (like we would share stories of Santa’s gifts). May they ask us “Is Jesus real?” like they have asked about Santa.

Santa is said to be the evolution of St. Nicholas, a 3rd century bishop who may have wore a red robe and mitre (pointed hat) and gave to the poor. Could I be “Santa” or “St. Nicholas”? If I am a disciple of Jesus and serve His children, giving without repayment, maybe even “surprise” presents, then yes, I could be a Santa. But even more, I can show how Jesus taught us all to give and serve not just around December 25th but the other 364 days of the year also. Who doesn’t like to receive an unexpected blessing any and every day??!!

Thank you to my sister-in-law for sharing this song with me several weeks ago. The author/singer received the inspiration through – who else? – but a child.

Where’s the Line to See Jesus?    –      Becky Kelley 

Posted in 1 Peter, Luke | 1 Comment

DID you know, Mary?

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from December 9, 2010 – It touched my heart again this year.]

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”     Luke 1:26-33 (NLT)

Most Bible historians put Mary’s age between 12-14 when the angel appeared to her. I was 24 when I had my first child. (Uh, children. I had twins!) The appearance of an angel would have confused and disturbed me even at my age! Unlike me, however, Mary probably knew something about the prophecies and God’s promises to send a Messiah that would come from David’s lineage. I also bet she knew that this was also her husband Joseph’s lineage. She had nine months to ponder these words and pray.

Later, in Luke’s gospel, we learn that at the time that Jesus is presented in the temple, Mary is told by Simeon that a sword would pierce her soul (Luke 2:35). Mary, in my mind, was the first soldier in Jesus’ Army. She was drafted by God. She served faithfully and with great courage. Mary did not flinch even when she was warned that there was going to be great pain involved.

Being a parent is the most awesome job; the most horrific job; the best job! I had my moment of panic before each child was born when I wondered how I was good enough to raise a child. Unfortunately for my children, it wasn’t until they were 16, 16, and 8 that I learned that there actually is an Owner’s Manual – the Bible – to advise me. I learned to call on the Holy Spirit to give me wisdom when the questions are hard and answers seem murky. And pain? Yes, there is pain involved in being a parent. Having a child say, “I hate you!” is only the beginning.

Mary had her child ridiculed. She had siblings fighting. We believe that her husband died and then her eldest son, Jesus, left her and the home to fulfill His mission in ministry. And she watched her son die. It was His destiny.

We do not know how much Mary knew and understood about who and what her son, Jesus, was. But we do know that Mary was faithfully there from His birth until His death. She shows us how to stand with our children as they continue to grow and fulfill God’s plan in their life. She shows us how to pray for them, believing that no matter how dark the hour, God will bring them through to victory when they submit to His will.

The day my children were born I did not know all that would come but I praise God that He did.

Be blessed by this wonderful song, Mary, did you know? written by Buddy Greene (1984) sung by Donny Osmond.


 

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Working for the LORD

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Life is short and meaningless, and it fades away like a shadow. Who knows what is best for us? Who knows what will happen after we are gone?
A good reputation at the time of death is better than loving care at the time of birth.
It’s better to go to a funeral than to attend a feast;
funerals remind us that we all must die.     Ecclesiastes 6:12-7:2 (CEV)

Don’t stop! This really is not a “downer” devotion! I promise! Too often I have read Ecclesiastes 3 (“a time to…”) and ignored the rest of the book. It is thought that Solomon wrote this and whoever it was – they were having a bad week or year or life because it is pretty melancholy, isn’t it? However, there are lessons to learn.

This will be my last “Book Recommendation” for 2011. I have been reading Billy Graham’s new book, Nearing Home (ISBN#0849948320). It is not a book just for people of Rev. Graham’s generation and age. It is for all of us, no matter our age. Do I have a guarantee on how long I will be here before Jesus calls me home? Rev. Graham hooked me as I read his Introduction. I wondered, not if I knew how to die, but did I know how God wanted me to live and serve every day no matter my age or limitations?

Another subject to consider is a very popular one: retirement. I don’t find that word or concept in the Bible. I would appreciate if anyone reading this devotion would tell me where God says I get to sit and be served as some might define retirement. Most people that I know who have retired from the job they may have had for 30-40 years are busier than when they were employed. They read or play games with people in nursing homes. They help care for their grandchildren. They volunteer at hospitals, USO centers, and schools. They serve. They have told me that they feel like they are “finally doing my real calling”.

Rev. Graham’s book encouraged me but it also made me uncomfortable with its questions and consideration of God’s Word. God has been speaking to me about “legacy” and what is it I want my children and grandchildren to remember about me. The passage in Ecclesiastes may seem harsh but this life, here, is but a fading shadow of my eternal life and it is the fruit of my life in Jesus that I want to produce in abundance.

For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body,by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.     Philippians 3:18-21 (HCSB)

As I “prepare” in this Advent season, I am asking God’s Spirit to examine me and teach me His ways. I want to follow Jesus and encourage my children and grandchildren to do the same. It’s not about the perfection of my life with Jesus. It is about my willingness to give my best to serve and build His Kingdom. A young man gave me a wooden plaque many, many years ago. It still hangs in my office today. It says: “Working for the LORD doesn’t pay much but the retirement plan is out of this world”. May my LORD find that I give my best for Him.

The Little Drummer Boy, originally known as Carol of the Drum by Katherine K. Davis (1941) 

 

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Home and Holidays

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

[reprinted from December 16, 2009]

– Henry Neufeld

The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.      Psalm 145:13-16 (NIV)

‘Satisfy’.  Now there is a word that may have come to mind as you pushed away from the table during these holidays.  Or ‘un – satisfy’ may have come to mind as you pick up the mountain of discarded paper and ribbons around noon on Christmas Day.

The Psalms must be the book in the Bible that offers almost unlimited encouragement to our spirit:  God is faithful to all His promises!  He is loving to all He has made!  God will hold me up when I fall and can’t stand again!  God lifts me when I walk humbly with Him!  God provides everything that I need to not only sustain me but cause me to grow at just the time I need it!  In God’s hand is the answer to every desire that I have!  Those 3 verses – I want them to run through my head all day – maybe even for several days – so that they take root and become a part of what I think and how I act and make decisions!

When my children and grandchildren come for a visit it seems like a holiday no matter what time of the year.  I believe in God’s promises and His faithfulness.  When family arrive, it seems like Christmas to me.  I’m not talking about just a holiday – I am talking about ‘home’.  Home is where those I love reside.  With my family spread (literally) across the U.S. – I’m pretty fluid about where my home is geographically located.  There is a peace at home.  There is faith at home.  There is a strength at home.  There is a place where I am satisfied.  God is in each one that is coming – and so we are home.  In the same location, we are aware of the tangible expression of ‘home’.  When we are apart – we hold on to what we know is true – and still feel that sense of home.

Did I just suddenly wake up one morning and find myself filled with satisfaction?  No!  I am human and so I leak!  I must refill and refill and refill each day!  I leak from the arrows of hurtful people and events in my life.  I leak from poor choices I have made.  I leak because of what I pour out as I reach out to others with the grace and mercy that God has given me.  And so – I must refill!

Read Psalm 145 today.  Let God lead you to another one tomorrow.  Maybe write down 1 or 2 verses and put it in your pocket and pull it out today to remind you about God and how you are home and there is satisfaction in being home with your Father.  This might be better than any New Year resolution you might think up between now and January 1st!

 

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Plans for Christmas

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

“If there is a poor person among you, one of your brothers within any of your gates in the land the LORD your God is giving you, you must not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him enough for whatever need he has. Be careful that there isn’t this wicked thought in your heart, ‘The seventh year, the year of canceling debts, is near,’ and you are stingy toward your poor brother and give him [nothing]. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty. Give to him, and don’t have a stingy heart when you give, and because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do. For there will never cease to be poor people in the land; that is why I am commanding you, ‘You must willingly open your hand to your afflicted and poor brother in your land.’”         Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (HCSB)

I wonder how many of us would admit to buying and wrapping mounds of presents for those we love and then as we collect the discarded and ripped paper and bows on Christmas morning and our spirits are not particularly joyous, as the commercials promised we would be. Instead our children are complaining that they did not receive the outrageously expensive game that their friend did or parts of presents have been torn or broken under careless feet and hands. Parents have retired to mind-numbing TV programs or to a kitchen to produce a meal for a crowd of expected people. Do wesurvive Christmas or celebrate it?

God spoke of the poor often throughout His Word. He spoke often ofmyresponsibility in the opportunities that He gives me to be His hands and feet toserve the poor. Will I miss these blessings? Do I believe like Scrooge that the poor deserve their lot in life because of the choices they have made? Or is God offering me opportunities to be His hands and His feet to bring His compassionate love to the people He spoke about in: Psalm 112, Proverbs 14:31, 19:17, 22:2, Isaiah 61:1-3, Matthew 19:21just to name a few passages?

There are so many options to giving to those who do not have plans for multi-course meals, multiple presents to give to their children, or even the necessities for any day in a week, much less Christmas. The ministries that I mention may be in my hometown of Pensacola, Florida but if you check Google you can probably find something similar near you. Or call your minister as I bet your church has been asked to help local groups who help the poor and needy.

Streets and Lanes Ministry. My friend, Leah Taylor offers her recommendation on her blogsite to help those who are homeless. She has found it to be an opportunity to involve her children in stuffing Christmas stockings that they will take to the ministry who will, in turn, give them to those in need.

Waterfront Rescue Mission. This ministry has programs for addiction recovery, shelter for the homeless, stores that sell used clothing, furniture, etc in Pensacola, Ft Walton Beach, FL, and Mobile, AL. They feed hundreds on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Church Outreach. There are many churches that put together boxes and baskets of food, fill shoe boxes for children and the homeless, and open their doors to provide meals. Pick up the phone. Open your local newspaper. Find an opportunity. God will open a door – if we are willing. 

Posted in Deuteronomy | Comments Off on Plans for Christmas

Real Comfort – Even at Christmas

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.
Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned.
Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!
Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.
The Lord has spoken!”

A voice said, “Shout!”
I asked, “What should I shout?”

“Shout that people are like the grass.
Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field.
The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord.
And so it is with people.
The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”    Isaiah 40:1-8 (NLT)

Lectionary Texts: Isaiah 40:1-8, Psalm 85, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8

It is thought that this passage of Isaiah was given while the Israelites were in exile. It means something to me, now, in 2011.

I cannot begin to imagine the feelings and thoughts of the Israelites as they are slaves in a land foreign to them in social structure and in religious beliefs and practices. Despair that they will ever return home. Did they think that God had abandoned them? I could describe my feelings like that.

When I am bowed over, I hear God’s tender voice encouraging me to lift my head and see that He is right there with me. He never left. I allow the problems and difficulties to become so big in my mind that I think no one can overcome them. The Holy Spirit speaks God’s truth to me and the “giants” begin to shrink down to size. They become what they truly are – those yippy little dogs that make so much noise and bite my ankles, causing me to take my eyes off my Creator and LORD.

How much time do I spend in a day thinking about problems, trying to figure out the “why’s” and “what’s next”? Now, how much time do I spend meditating on God’s words? If I spend more time on problems than I do reading, praying, and learning more about God, that could give me some explanation why my problems seem so big! But if I spend more time with God and then take His wisdom and knowledge and consider the problems, my perspective is more clear and realistic.

Receive God’s comfort and His wisdom and His great love. Accept it like a child accepts the tender cuddling of their father. A child doesn’t expect their father to charge for that comfort. Our Father doesn’t charge either.

Comfort Ye My People from Handel’s Messiah, sung by Jerry Hadley

 

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Immanuel: God with Me

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.    Isaiah 7:14 (HCSB)

We are in the Advent season. Three weeks from Sunday will be Christmas Day when we, as Christians celebrate the birth of our Savior. It is in this time that we are to prepare. It’s not about the number of cookies baked or presents wrapped. It is about the preparation of my heart, my spirit. How do I prepare my heart and spirit for the celebration?

Learn from Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary. Zechariah was priest in God’s Temple. He knew all the rituals necessary for the offerings. He knew a lot about God but did not know God. He doubted God’s messenger when he said that God would give him a son. He wanted some assurance. Where was his faith?

Elizabeth, his wife, may have also had her doubts. It is said that she remained in seclusion for the first five months of her pregnancy (Luke 1:24-25). Was she ashamed of her pregnancy or unsure she was actually pregnant? But she learned. By the time her cousin, Mary came to visit her, Elizabeth recognized that God Himself had entered her home and gave her young cousin some encouragement (Luke 1:45).

I often see the young Mary as naïve and her faith childlike. “Let it be done to me as you say,” she says (Luke 1:38). I have the sight of looking back from 2000 years in the future as I think that Mary could not have known the amount of pain and suffering that her Son, and she herself, would have to endure. And yet, she kept her eyes on Him as He kept His eyes on His mission in Jerusalem.

Focus on what this ‘Savior’ means to me. Where would I be without Jesus as my Savior? What was my life before I accepted that I needed a savior? Do I remember the confusion and a-loneness? Without Jesus, I surely would have died, in spirit if not in also in body. Jesus has encouraged me in the darkest of hours and shown me the truth of who I am.

It truly is a time of celebration. It is not difficult for me to imagine the mystery and wonder of that most holy night when Jesus was born. God has given me a glimpse as I gave birth to three children and now look at my grandchildren. And then to know that God Himself came to live here as an infant, fully human and yet still God, is a mystery, too. And He came – to save us all from our sins.

A Baby Changes Everything by Craig Wiseman and Tim Nichols and sung by Faith Hill (2008) 

Jesus began His ministry to me in that stable. He came to show me how to live with little but with everything. He showed me how something tiny, like a newborn baby, can change everything in my life. He showed me that from what appears to be a tiny incident in my life, just saying “Yes”, I will become more than I can imagine in His Kingdom eyes. And as I continue to obediently do whatever little He might tell me to do, He will call me great in His Kingdom. In that Baby is Hope, Comfort, Joy, Peace, and Life. A Baby changes everything.

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