Joseph went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. Luke 2:5 NIV
"Come, Thou long-expected Jesus” says the Christmas hymn, and usually when I hear it, I think of how long the people had waited for their Messiah. But no one could have waited for Jesus’ birth with more anticipation than Mary.
It’s been a while, but I remember what it was like to be pregnant. Nine months to ponder questions that can’t be answered until the baby arrives; the same kinds of questions Mary might have asked. Am I truly prepared? How will this baby change my life? It all came back to me when a young co-worker was pregnant, with some new concern or question every day.
One day she was telling Jeanne, the most experienced mother in our office, that she wished the waiting didn’t have to take so long. “Think of it as a gift,” Jeanne said. “God gives you nine months to get comfortable with the idea that your life is never going to be the same!” That’s a decidedly uncomfortable—but accurate—thought.
Advent provides a similar opportunity: four weeks to ponder what Jesus coming into the world means to me. Christmas is one day of excitement and joy, as is the day of a baby’s birth—a rush of emotions that passes in a blur. But Advent brings time to consider how the birth of this baby will change my life. Can my faith grow stronger? Can I truly become more like Him? Each year, the season of Advent gives me a fresh opportunity to welcome Jesus and think about how I can be changed because of Him.
Loving Jesus, although I think of You now as a baby, You have the full-grown power to change me. Use this time of Advent to prepare my heart for Your arrival.
