CDPunt(igam) Writes

Light the first three candles

Story: Something inside me
Growing with care and courage
My soul rejoices

Light the fourth candle

Scripture: Luke 1: 46b-55
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
NIV: New International Version

Thoughts: This time of year, we spend a lot of time doing things. We are making lists, checking them twice, ordering items or searching for them in stores, making food, eating cookies, enjoying plays and concerts. It’s a busy time of year. Sometimes, it can become so busy that we forget to do all those things with Love. When our to-do lists become the priority, and the timelines start to crunch, our activities can become rote instead of loving. Mary shares with us in her magnificat one way that we can combat that urge to turn into automatons of festivities. We have to take a moment and recognize that God is within us, his presence constantly growing even when we aren’t able to always perceive it. When we slow down to let Love be our guiding reason for all the different things we do this season, people notice. They may not realize it but they will have something stirred inside of them, much like Elizabeth when she encountered Mary. God wants to perform mighty deeds with our arms this Christmas season, we just need to let God’s love grow inside us to see it occur.

Questions: What’s something you normally love but you struggled with this Christmas season? Have you seen any difference between doing things with love as the reason versus it’s on the list of things to do? What’s something that surprised you this holiday season and reminded you of the love of God?

Songs: Listen to Breath of Heaven (sung by any number of artists at this point) or Jars of Clay’s Love Came Down at Christmas.

Challenge: Find a way to be loving towards the loving someone that makes your life better but you don’t know personally. For instance, delivery drivers, postal workers, store clerks, neighbors whose garden/yard you admire, someone at church you’re not close with, a co-worker that always gets reports in on time.