Weekly E-votional: Monday, December 05, 2005
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. Luke 1:26-33
Have you ever had an unwelcome surprise? I have a friend whose husband threw a surprise fortieth birthday party for her at her place of employment. Just as she came down the hall to walk in the room where everyone was hiding, she turned to those who were walking with her and said, “I am ready to go home and rest; I want this birthday to be pretty low-key.” Was she ever caught off guard when she walked into the room where she was supposed to be attending her last meeting of the day, only to discover that about 50 of her closest friends were packed inside! So much for letting her birthday slip by quietly!
Imagine how Mary must have felt to discover she was going to have a baby. She had her life all planned out, with her wedding approaching. But God had other plans. She would still get married, but she would also be the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. This must have been a frightening discovery, but this was a surprise that blessed us all!
In the midst of life’s chaos, what should be welcome surprises seem more like inconveniences. This is especially true in the busy Christmas season. Our families are going in all directions to attend special children’s programs. There are so many decorations to hang and traditions to maintain. The rush of shopping and parties can cause us to see any added activity as a burden. Yet some of those “burdens” are the true blessings of the season. Like when getting stuck in traffic behind unexpected road construction gives us a few more moments to laugh with our children, or a friend dropping by without notice gives us a chance to laugh and relax for a moment. Those little surprises are often more important than whatever we had planned.
My friend’s birthday party was a lot of fun. It was not what she would have planned, but it provided a chance of laughter and fun. When it was over, she and those who attended had special memories of that day. It was a blessing after all.
This season, give yourself permission to be interrupted. Allow a surprise here and there to make you late for the next event on your schedule. Be present in the moment. You never know when what you see as an “inconveniences” may be a gift from God.
Have a blessed week!
Jeff
Monday, December 5, 2005
Weekly E-votional: Monday, December 05, 2005
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. Luke 1:26-33
Have you ever had an unwelcome surprise? I have a friend whose husband threw a surprise fortieth birthday party for her at her place of employment. Just as she came down the hall to walk in the room where everyone was hiding, she turned to those who were walking with her and said, “I am ready to go home and rest; I want this birthday to be pretty low-key.” Was she ever caught off guard when she walked into the room where she was supposed to be attending her last meeting of the day, only to discover that about 50 of her closest friends were packed inside! So much for letting her birthday slip by quietly!
Imagine how Mary must have felt to discover she was going to have a baby. She had her life all planned out, with her wedding approaching. But God had other plans. She would still get married, but she would also be the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. This must have been a frightening discovery, but this was a surprise that blessed us all!
In the midst of life’s chaos, what should be welcome surprises seem more like inconveniences. This is especially true in the busy Christmas season. Our families are going in all directions to attend special children’s programs. There are so many decorations to hang and traditions to maintain. The rush of shopping and parties can cause us to see any added activity as a burden. Yet some of those “burdens” are the true blessings of the season. Like when getting stuck in traffic behind unexpected road construction gives us a few more moments to laugh with our children, or a friend dropping by without notice gives us a chance to laugh and relax for a moment. Those little surprises are often more important than whatever we had planned.
My friend’s birthday party was a lot of fun. It was not what she would have planned, but it provided a chance of laughter and fun. When it was over, she and those who attended had special memories of that day. It was a blessing after all.
This season, give yourself permission to be interrupted. Allow a surprise here and there to make you late for the next event on your schedule. Be present in the moment. You never know when what you see as an “inconveniences” may be a gift from God.
Have a blessed week!
Jeff
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. Luke 1:26-33
Have you ever had an unwelcome surprise? I have a friend whose husband threw a surprise fortieth birthday party for her at her place of employment. Just as she came down the hall to walk in the room where everyone was hiding, she turned to those who were walking with her and said, “I am ready to go home and rest; I want this birthday to be pretty low-key.” Was she ever caught off guard when she walked into the room where she was supposed to be attending her last meeting of the day, only to discover that about 50 of her closest friends were packed inside! So much for letting her birthday slip by quietly!
Imagine how Mary must have felt to discover she was going to have a baby. She had her life all planned out, with her wedding approaching. But God had other plans. She would still get married, but she would also be the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. This must have been a frightening discovery, but this was a surprise that blessed us all!
In the midst of life’s chaos, what should be welcome surprises seem more like inconveniences. This is especially true in the busy Christmas season. Our families are going in all directions to attend special children’s programs. There are so many decorations to hang and traditions to maintain. The rush of shopping and parties can cause us to see any added activity as a burden. Yet some of those “burdens” are the true blessings of the season. Like when getting stuck in traffic behind unexpected road construction gives us a few more moments to laugh with our children, or a friend dropping by without notice gives us a chance to laugh and relax for a moment. Those little surprises are often more important than whatever we had planned.
My friend’s birthday party was a lot of fun. It was not what she would have planned, but it provided a chance of laughter and fun. When it was over, she and those who attended had special memories of that day. It was a blessing after all.
This season, give yourself permission to be interrupted. Allow a surprise here and there to make you late for the next event on your schedule. Be present in the moment. You never know when what you see as an “inconveniences” may be a gift from God.
Have a blessed week!
Jeff
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