Advent is a time of anticipation. I hope you look forward to these devotional thoughts each day.
Our 3-year-old grandson in Texas has been anticipating a visit from his grandparents. For days, our son has told Simeon, “Gramma and Grampa are coming!” Tim helped Simeon make a paper chain to count the days until our arrival. The simple task of tearing off a single paper link each day made our impending visit a bit more tangible.
For Mary, the reality of her pregnancy was hard to comprehend in those early months. Her body didn’t look any different. The baby was too small for Mary to feel a tiny kick. But when she visited Elizabeth and saw her older relative visibly pregnant and heard her talking of the baby leaping within her womb, Mary’s own pregnancy must have seemed more real.
Mary became…excited.
The reality of all that lay ahead hit home. The pregnancy within her womb was fact. She and Joseph would be raising God’s Son together. With a heart beating rapidly, Mary burst into song. In Luke 1, she sang of God’s amazing power, “filling the hungry with good things and sending the rich away empty.”
When was the last time you were excited about something about to happen? As you anticipate the arrival of Christmas, try to recapture some of the excitement of my 3-year-old grandson. We will only be visiting Simeon for a week, but Jesus is with us forever!
