God is here.

Advent is by far my favorite season because it teaches a deep truth. It teaches us that if we put our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls in the right place... God will do amazing things through and for us. 

God uses a 14 year old girl named Mary who is engaged to be married in which to bring forth the Messiah in to this world. The savior of the world enters in to our skin in the same way that we all enter. 

But it is not without scandal. A pregnant, unmarried girl has suspicion written all over it. With all the room to doubt and fear Mary chooses to put her heart and soul in to obedience to what God was calling her to do. 

Her obedience doesn’t just carry weight for Mary herself but impacts all of humanity. It impacts us. 

This doesn’t mean that God’s grace is circumstantial but when we choose to let God mold us and shape us to BE the kind of people he has called us to be we are all better for it.  We can trust that he will work good out of what often times is our mess when we say here I am God mold and shape me. 

Tomorrow on Christmas Eve we will light the Christ candle. Making a bold statement that “God is here.” And how is the world to know this? By the way we treat each other, carry each others burdens, and the strength of our love for each other. For in these actions we are being Christ for each other. Displaying what Paul says in Ephesians that we are all God’s workmanship. 

And Jesus doesn’t look at all the places we fall short and condemn our actions with hate. But instead it says in Ephesians,”Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ...in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” 

I am so grateful for all the God is doing in and through our community at Pleasant Green and I wait with an expectant hope for what is next! Merry Christmas!