Reb Rev's Blog

“But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.  – Luke 1:29-31

Thanksgiving is past now and here we are rolling into the Christmas season. Just about all of us are bracing for the rush. It’s kind of like going over a waterfall. We drift along through the year and then we get close enough to hear the roar (Thanksgiving). The next thing you know you are plunging headlong over it and trying to recover from the commotion (New Year).

We don’t have any control over all the outside activity involving the celebration of Christ’s birth, but we can direct our own actions, attitudes and expectations.

Imagine Mary’s interpretation of that first Christmas. Here she is a young girl getting ready for marriage. Not quite the event we have today, but a celebration nonetheless. Then the angel appears and tells her she is going to have a baby. Troubling news indeed!

What will people say? What will Joseph do? How could it even happen? In the middle of the flood of anxiety the angel says “Do not be afraid…” The Baby will be Jesus.

Now, our situations are certainly different today, but we all face anxieties which seem to be compounded this time of year. With gifts to buy and expectations to meet financial situations seem worse. Family gatherings magnify family troubles. There is so little time and too much to do. Stress levels go off the charts.

It may sound impossible, but you don’t have to be swept away in the rush. Follow Mary’s example. Trust God and focus the main thing – which is the wonderful gift of Jesus. He really is the reason for the season.

My prayer for you this week is that you will sense His peace in all things.

This entry was posted on December 4, 2009 at 9:57 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.