“And a voice came from the heavens, saying, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” - Mt 3:13-17
Today marks the beginning of Ordinary Time and the official end of Christmas. The rest of the world seems to have already moved on to the next big thing...Christmas decorations that once filled every store I went to have been replaced by Valentine's day cards...gyms are extra crowded with people trying to stay true to their New Year's resolutions…work and social schedules are packed full of things to do, places to go to, people to see...but for some reason, I find myself less eager to move on this year.
Maybe it's because this is our first Christmas as newly weds or because it was the first Christmas that I spent away from my immediate family…maybe it's because I got really sick and didn't have as much time to really prepare for Christmas so it seems to have gone by so quickly…or maybe...getting so sick was a blessing in that I didn't have the energy to get caught up too much (or at least for too long) in all the hustle and bustle that often comes with getting ready for Christmas, that spending Christmas with my new husband and his family allowed me see Christmas from a different perspective…maybe, maybe...
Whatever the reason may be, it seems like God is inviting me to just remain here…to let the spirit of Christmas linger in my heart...to savor it…to be still...and know that He is already with us…truly…even in all the muck of life…that He is with me and He loves me…wait, really? Would God still call me His “beloved” if He knew me, I mean, really knew me and all that I've done and sometimes continue to do? Would He rest His favor in me? As someone who often has a hard time accepting love, these questions often make me feel uneasy. Yet, despite my resistance and uneasiness, a voice from within resounds: "Yes."
Lord, may we embrace enough silence and solitude so that God's loving voice resounds from within. May we marinate in the incredible gift that we are already God's beloved children.
Reflected by Kim Nguyen Lehr
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