We left off with Joseph & Mary on the long trek to Bethlehem.
Still on the road…
I wonder if Mary asked, “Are we there yet?!” as her womb started sending signals it was full and had had enough.
I wonder how sick of leading the donkey and being on his feet all day Joseph was?
How the outdoors only reminded them both of how much they wanted to be back home already, resting indoors. Census over and done.
Instead, the road continued to stretch out in front of them, still needing to be traveled.
Can you relate?
I often grow tired of my daily walk. I fail to see the purpose in endlessly folding laundry, constantly washing dishes, ceaselessly cleaning the house, just to do it all over again.
The familiar, the routine, the repetition. Dreary with doing the same jobs, traveling the same roads over and over…
Not all that different than finding ourselves on the road to Bethlehem again.
Except this year, I am determined to not take the Advent story for granted.
Having been raised with it, it can seem like a pointless journey to take again each December, save for this fact:
The arrival of Jesus changed everything. God reached down, touched an average woman and folded Jesus into her womb, to slowly grow until He was to emerge and meet His creation face to face, God with us.
In the familiar, the routine, the repetition, we find we are no longer alone. We have been met in our humanity, in the dreary drudgery of our daily to do list. By the God who wants us to be known, embrace us in our hurts, bind our brokenness, restore our energy, guide our steps, helping us move beyond the words and enter the story.
You see, God knew the road we were traveling was a dead end without His intervention.
The road to Bethlehem was always part of God’s plan.
For Jesus was meant to be born in David’s city, fulfilling the promise God gave David so many generations before- the Deliverer was coming.
But first, He needs to be delivered into the world.
Picture weary Mary, struggling to get comfortable in her last weeks of her pregnancy…whether on the donkey, or lying down.
See Joseph limping from the rough terrain, shoulders sore from guiding the occasionally stubborn donkey, stomach rumbling from the excursion.
The road to Bethlehem was a labour of love.
Not only through Joseph and Mary’s obedience, nor Jesus’ impending delivery…
God labored to bring Advent about: the dream, the decision, the preparation, the effort & the teamwork within the Trinity- all designed to collide with humanity at the end of the road to Bethlehem.
God had every right to be weary of us. Selfish sinful flesh. Wanting our own way. Discontent until we could connect with our Creator, helpless to make the changes we needed in ourselves to make it happen.
So God decided to make it happen for us. To make the way for us.
The #AdventuresinAdvent are only part of the way to the big finale.
I can only hope that like me, God is stirring up the desire to see His story, His gift to us all, in a fresh light. To be struck with the wonder awaiting us at the end of the road ahead.
KARLA LEES 