When Joy is Hard to Find – Advent Devotional Week 3

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When Joy is Hard to Find  – Advent Devotional Week 3

Even though the third week of Advent highlights the spirit of joy that Christ brings into the world there’s no doubt that our human nature finds it hard to grasp joy in the midst of trauma, tragedy, suffering and sorrow. We have seen the devastation of children caught in this world’s evil and my own recent experiences with friends who have difficulties – be it sickness, impending grief, loneliness or shattered relationships – highlights that it is the time of year when sorrows and frustrations are magnified.

Yet in the midst of trouble there is hope for joy. It’s a tenacious joy you experience that’s not necessarily “happiness” but you know you are walking on the road you are currently called to walk…even when it hurts…even when it means putting one foot in front of the other moment by moment to get to the next day and next year, trusting in God’s faithfulness.

As we prepare to remember, reflect, and celebrate the gift of our Savior, I ponder that night we often call a silent night, a holy night. Indeed it was a holy night, but I would venture to say it might not have been a silent one as there were groans of childbirth and the hustle and bustle of a busy town all around.  Chaos prevailed as sojourners returned  to Bethlehem for the census.  People were tired and frustrated from many days of difficult travel.

….And then without fanfare hope, love, joy and peace humbly came to earth for us.

Today I pray that our eyes can see and ears can hear what the Spirit may be saying to us about our upcoming week and about our preparations for a new year. I need the encouragement of the Holy Spirit to ground me and keep me focused and to help me curtail my times of complaint and ingratitude:

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  John 14:26

Holy Spirit, remind us of what you have taught us and help us to live our lives for your people and your purposes. Thank you for the opportunity you give us to comfort those who mourn and bless those in need. Let us be your vessels of hope, love, joy and peace.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:12, 15

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15 :13  

Love is…Advent Devotional Week 2

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Love is… Advent Devotional Week 2

The small decoupage plaque hung on the wall in my parents bedroom. There were four cartoon like boys and one girl painted on the plaque below the inscribed words “Love is marrying a man with five children.”  Marrying a widower with five children was a life change requiring devotion, work and sacrifice for my second mom. Not everyone has faith (or sheer stamina) to commit to such an undertaking even for a wonderful man like my father.

In not such a dissimilar way, my husband, by marrying me, a paralyzed woman with a high level spinal cord injury, has more than demonstrated a great heart of service, commitment and sacrifice. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure my mom was blessed and my husband is blessed in both tangible and intangible ways….not just in spite of their situations…but because of them. For that I am most grateful.

In pondering the advent of Christmas and the theme of love for this week, I appreciate human examples that help me glimpse the true love of God and inspire me toward that great love. I see them all around me when I choose to stop and look and appreciate. It’s so easy to be tainted by the negative and destructive voices and actions that are so prevalent in our society….and in our own lives.

Why not choose to see each day with grateful, compassionate eyes and fight against the negativity of this world and the lust for earthly comforts that do not satisfy?

In fighting this negativity, I’m adding an emphasis on “no complaining words”…a kind of “complaining” fast so to speak. Who knows, maybe it will change the way I’ve been handling health issues and other frustrations recently. Words have power. Words matter.

Last night, after bemoaning to my husband about the slow and uncomfortable healing of a wound, I caught myself. Stopping, I realized that if I wasn’t complaining I might be crying (Ah! The ways we cope). But you know what? I may have needed a few tears and a hug of comfort to acknowledge that sometimes life and love are tough – and I’ll venture to say my husband may have appreciated that hug much more than the complaint.

How about you? How are your words? Especially to those who are closest to you?

Father, help us embrace your unending love for us and freely share it with others, always using our tongue as a weapon of blessing.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power….to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”  Ephesians 3:17, 18 NIV

May we speak the truth in love and may we love with ALL our words as we prepare to celebrate the Savior’s birth… ~Madge

 

The Christmas Gift

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This is a re-post (from December 2011) of a wonderful vignette about a “Christmas gift” written by my cousin Stewart, aka ‘Buddy’, McElhannon a few years ago.  I hope you find a ‘Katherine’ or ‘some Katherines’ to help this season.  You will surely receive the greater gift.

Her name was Katherine.

She worked at the Chick-fil-A Restaurant in the Food Court next to my office building. Each morning, as was my custom, I would drop into the Chick-fil-A and order a medium iced tea – half sweet, half unsweet. Katherine usually took my order. In her 50’s, short and sweet, she reminded me of a doting grandmother.

“Half sweet, half unsweet, half sweet, half unsweet…” When I first met her, I was struck by how she would mutter to herself as she walked from the counter to the tea dispenser, making sure she didn’t forget my order. It didn’t take her long to remember me, though, and soon she anticipated my order even before I said anything. “Half sweet, half unsweet?”

During Christmas, 2008, I had started a personal tradition of wrapping small gifts, like Hershey candy bars, and handing them out to people I encountered each day as a simple way of saying “Merry Christmas!” The usual targets of this Santa’s giveaway included the security guards, the secretaries, the various receptionists, and, of course, my friendly workers at Chick-fil-A. But as Christmas approached in 2009, I wanted to give something other than a chocolate bar. To my most pleasant surprise, the local Lifeway Bookstore had a special Christmas offer: they were selling Casting Crown’s latest Christmas CD for $5. It was already my personal favorite Christmas CD. I grabbed 20 CD’s and went home to wrap them.

The next day, with my CD’s all wrapped and in my bag, I went to work with my best Santa Clause grin and proceeded to hand out these token Christmas gifts, wishing all of the familiar faces a hearty Merry Christmas! When I dropped by Chick-fil-A that morning, I picked up my tea and handed a rather shocked Katherine the wrapped gift. A big smile immediately exploded across her face. “Oh thank you” was all she could say.

Now I must confess that after spending part of my day giving out these gifts, I felt pretty good. It was fun to see people’s reactions and quite heartwarming to surprise someone with an unexpected gift. But I was not prepared for what happened a couple weeks later.

It was Monday, January 4th, and I was back at work. Stopping by ChicK-fil-A, I was greeted by Katherine with that smile on her face, already muttering, “Half sweet, half unsweet?” After filling my order, Katherine looked at me and shared how much she appreciated the gift of the CD. She went on to explain that her husband had recently lost his job and money was so tight they decided not to give any gifts at Christmas. So she had taken my gift home and placed it under the tree. And with a cheerful, almost beaming countenance, she exclaimed “It was the ONLY gift I opened on Christmas morning. My husband and I loved the music and I just wanted to tell you thank you so very much.”

What could I say? I really don’t remember what I did say other than smile and offer a lame “you’re welcome.” With my head spinning and my knees shaking, I somehow walked outside only to stop and wipe the tears from my eyes. Could it possibly be that the only gift Katherine had at Christmas was the $5 CD I had given her? Humbled, I somehow made it to my desk. The day was a blur as my mind seldom strayed far from that morning’s encounter.

Frankly, at this point I remain at a loss for words. I am a blessed man. With the love of my wife and children, countless gifts at Christmas and a home filled with joy and scents of a Christmas season, I am not sure I can even fathom a Christmas morning like Katherine had. Grateful but humbled with all that I have been blessed, I am once again reminded that the true gift of Christmas is not what is wrapped under the tree but what was wrapped in a manger in Bethlehem some 2000+ years ago. “Oh Lord, help me to be a generous man, a channel of your blessings to those around me, not only at Christmas but every day of the year. Thank you that a single gift under Katherine’s tree was a reminder of THE single Gift You gave to all of us.”

Hope – Advent Devotional Week 1

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Hope – Advent Devotional Week 1

“God is the only one who can make the valley of trouble a door of hope.” – Catherine Marshall

As the advent of our Savior coming to earth is remembered and celebrated, the hope we profess is often tested and tried. The pains of life – Illness, loss, loneliness and wounded relationships, etc. can be magnified as the season ensues.

The hustle of preparations can distract us from pain until we stop and silence ourselves. Christmas music, decorations and family traditions may dull the pain of hopelessness…but our heavenly father sees and can disarm the power of this world’s pain with hope today as he did in many years past when the first Christmas was arriving.

What was young Mary thinking when she realized that she would bear the son of God? What would she say to her family as a young engaged girl who found herself pregnant? Mary had to wonder what would happen to her when the angel told her she would be with child. Surely anxious thoughts of embarrassment, fear and uncertainty crept into her mind… But hope prevailed. The hope that what the angel said was true, the hope that she indeed would bear a son and name him Jesus, the hope that her cousin Elizabeth would also be pregnant as the angel told her. By God’s grace the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt at Mary’s (Jesus’s) arrival! I can only imagine the comfort Mary felt as she was with Elizabeth.

Young Mary embraced her dilemma with grace and held to hope. Hope. Yes…Hope. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.” 1 Cor. 13:13a

When we have hope we dare to love. When we have hope we step into situations that might be uncomfortable with a different perspective. When we have hope we can face fears head on and receive grace.

The first week of Advent is underway. Let’s usher in this sacred season knowing that we will likely need an intentional reminder of our true hope during the upcoming weeks.

My prayer today is that we have hearts that are ready to receive as we embrace our Savior coming to earth and that we have hearts that are determined to give. May we pray that we see the needs which God has called us and equipped us to meet and grasp the grace to humbly serve in them. Oh Father, show each of your plan for how we can give others hope this season. Help each of us to rest solidly with hope in you. Amen.

Below are a couple suggested verses for my scripture memory friends – if you haven’t joined us this year maybe you’ll consider memorizing some verses with us next year! It’s a powerful habit indeed!

“He is the one we proclaim admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” Col. 1:28-29

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful.” Heb. 10:23