Sarah & I would like to share with you one of our "first" traditions (if we can call it a tradition yet). We decided to get an Advent calendar for our Christmas season! 1. Because I don't remember the last time I ever went through an Advent calendar 2. Because it's cool and we live in Seattle 3. Because it's biblical (thought I should add this one). We are celebrating Advent, because the word means "coming," and reminds Sarah & I of the best "coming" there ever was! The arrival of our Rescuer, Jesus Christ!
Day 8! December 8th.
Today's reading came after the kindest of surprises from Sarah. An early Christmas present. We were able to go see the Nutcracker here in Seattle! It's art direction came from the same man who illustrated the popular children's story, Where the Wild Things Are. It was amazing, to say the least, and a great surprise gift from my beautiful bride :-)
As we continue on with our reading in Luke, Sarah and I think Luke 1:36-37 is important enough not to overlook.
"'And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.' And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.'"
God does the impossible! He made Elizabeth, who was known in her whole town as barren, to have a baby boy. Imagine this woman who was despised and considered less than in her town, who thought she would never have kids to carry on her family's legacy, suddenly have her life completely changed! God came and visited her and opened up her womb to have a baby boy! And she believed He would do the impossible!
Imagine this teenage girl Mary, who was ready to be married to Joseph, suddenly receive word from God that she would give birth to His Son. She didn't run away, she didn't laugh, she didn't disbelieve. She said, "May it happen, just as you have said." She certainly had questions in her mind about how all this would happen, but she didn't doubt. She believed God could do the impossible!
Nothing will be impossible with God. Do Sarah and I believe this? Do we believe this, truly? Is this just something we say with our mouth when we need to, or when we are called to give the 'right answer'? As Sarah and I grow in our marriage, we are always praying for this truth to grow in our hearts and be seen through our lives. God does do the impossible, and we have seen it with our very eyes! He has changed hearts that hated Him to hearts that love Him. He has given babies to women who have been told they will never have babies again. He makes two individuals, who were miles apart from each other, never knowing the other existed, come together in marriage, unifying the two into one. He has done the impossible and will continue to do the impossible. Do you believe it?
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
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