Advent Day 16: Preparation

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Isaiah 40:3-5;
Malachi 3:1;
1 Peter 1:13-21



“The Incarnation is the ultimate reason why the service of God cannot be divorced from service to others.” ―Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
The Cost of Discipleship
 
Preparing for a Birthday
By Becky Nation

When I think of preparing for Christmas, my thoughts usually turn to decorations. My favorites are red bows and poinsettias, live greenery, all kinds of candles--electric and wax--but my decorations have become “smaller scale” in this later season of my life. In retrospect, I perhaps spent too much time preparing the house and not enough time preparing my heart… 

But some things take you by surprise and work their way into your heart anyways. 

Last Saturday, our church receptionist Nancy Francis called to inquire if I was still on our church’s worship committee. This group was preparing dinner for Interfaith Emergency Services and one of the children, a little boy named Adonis, was having his 7th birthday. The shelter attendants wanted him to have a cake (actually, he had never had a birthday cake in his life, but I didn’t find that out until later). I wasn't able to attend, but I told Nancy I would get the cake if she could take it to Interfaith that afternoon.

On Sunday morning, I walked into Publix and there, on display in the refrigerator, was the perfect cake for a 7-year-old little boy; decorated with bright blue and red balloons—it was just waiting for the words “Happy Birthday Adonis.” Nancy took the cake to the shelter and learned that this was the first birthday cake that Adonis had ever had. We knew we were the recipient of divine intervention. How good is a God who would prepare the perfect cake for such a time as this?

...but The next morning, at 5:00am, I jolted awake with a horrible thought: I forgot to get candles!!! Because of my haste, and being so pleased with myself for finding the perfect cake, I didn’t stop to imagine the kid actually receiving it. I was sure there would be no birthday candles at the shelter, no candle for Adonis to blow out after making a wish. How horrible!

When the clock clicked to a respectable hour, I called Nancy and confessed my oversight—expecting her to share my lament, but, instead, she said, “Don’t worry! I took care of that! Adonis’ cake had plenty of bright candles!”
And I thought There you are again, Lord—working through Nancy as your instrument to cover one of your sinner’s forgetfulness. It’s a beautiful thing when the body of Christ works together to serve others.

As I reflect on this past weekend and think about preparation, I realize now that if Jesus came to my house for Christmas, I would not be concerned about poinsettias or all the other decorations. I would want a freshly baked birthday cake covered with lighted candles! And I thank the Lord that I was able to share that in this season—because Jesus said “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.”  So I’m thankful for Adonis and what his birthday taught me about preparing for Christmas.
 

Prepare the way (2x)
Prepare the way of the Lord
Jesus...Jesus...Jesus
Tomorrow’s word: Path/Way →

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