Before I can tap to my weather app to see if it will be calm enough at sunrise for close-up photography, my phone blinks to life, throbbing with headlines of pain and ugliness, of war, hate, injustice, greed, and fear… so much ugliness.
I turn off the phone and stand in the darkness aching also for those closer to home. Many family members and friends mourn, recover so slowly from stroke or surgery, care for someone with (or live with their own) chronic pain, dementia, addiction, diseases with debilitating treatment, diseases with no treatment… so much pain.
My heart is heavy as I walk out into the dawn and lament: God, there is so much wrong in this world. Please do something. Soon.
***
The sun rises through a sherbet mist to warm fallen leaves. It spotlights the architecture of seed pods and the delicate curves of drying leaves. It showers bathing finches in diamonds. So much beauty.
The illumination of God’s beauty in nature in turn illuminates His love in the darkness of my heart this morning.
Yes, there is ugliness and much sadness in the world. Yes, there is much to lament this side of heaven.
But, every scripture reading, every devotion, every hymn of this Advent season is a bright reminder that we have not been left to despair in the darkness.
God’s light and His promise to be with us shines through His Word, through His Son Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. It shines gloriously in His promise of an eternal life where there will be no more darkness or pain or fear.
***
Lord, as we wait for Your return, help us not to despair. Help us instead to look for Your light shining in others. Help us to share Your light with others. Help us to be Your light for others.
Give us eyes, Lord, to see the hurting and not turn away. Give us hearts and hands to share Your light and love however and whenever we can to comfort and strengthen others. Give us strength to stand up to ugliness and compassion to stand with others in their pain. Give us faith to believe that You hear and see and will act in Your perfect time, in Your perfect way.
When we are the ones hurting and in need, Lord, strengthen our faith through Your Word and give us grace to see and accept Your love shining through others.
Lord, help us also remember to joyfully offer our songs of praise and thanksgiving for the light of Your love in and through our lives.
As we meditate this Advent season on Old Testament prophecies that shine a light on the gift of Jesus’ birth, may we also rejoice in His blessed promise to be with us always and to come again. Amen.
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
(Lutheran Service Book Hymn 357:O Come, O Come Emmanuel verses 6,7)
8 Responses
Your writing is so beautiful. Maybe you should start working on a book of reflections for Advent or Lent.
I am so sorry, Patti, that I did not reply until today – nearly two weeks after your response! I should have received an email notification that someone responded to a post. I did not. I found your response today only because I opened the site to begin another post. Please know that I feel truly honored when someone takes the time to read and respond to something I’ve shared.
That said, thank you for the encouragement to work on a book of reflections. I’ve never thought about working towards a collection of essays based on seasons in the church year. You’ve planted a seed for some thinking… and prayer.
Take care.
Deb
Once again I can tell you put a lot of thought into what you’ve said and it comes from your heart. I wish my minister could say 1% of the things you say. Plus you notice the beauty of God’s creation that most of us take for
granted and show us with truly amazing pictures!
First, I must apologize for not replying to you sooner. I only saw your response today, Dec. 26, because I opened the website to begin another post. I am honored when anyone takes time to respond to what I share.
I do share from my heart, and I love looking for God’s glory in such small, ordinary things as weeds and leaves and songbirds. Isn’t that the case for all of life, though? How much beauty there is, how much to be thankful for even in the small and the seemingly mundane!
Take care.
Deb
Deb, what a wonderful way to start this morning by reading your so beautifully written words and seeing your photography. Your photographs always amaze me how you bring out the beauty of nature when it is often considered dead and ugly by our human eyes. Thank you for sharing your talents and allowing me to see that beauty too.
Oh, Pam… thank you for those kind words! I am so tickled to be able to draw attention to God’s quiet beauty in nature. Almost every time I find something like that feather caught in the cedar, I think, “I found that only because I set out to look for beauty.
How much happier would I be if, every time I left the house, I set out to look for the beauty in the small gestures and quiet details of the people I encounter?”
I’m sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I just found your response and three others this morning – more than two weeks after you wrote. I am honored when anyone takes the time to respond. Thank you.
Take care.
Deb
Very nice and beautifully written
Thank you, Jane, for taking the time to respond. I’m honored by that, and I’m sorry that I didn’t reply sooner. I should receive an email notification each time someone responds to a post. I received no such notification for responses in December. I guess I have some homework to do!
Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you enjoyed the post.
Take care.
Deb