It happens sometimes. Most years Christmas is a time of joy, filled with decorations and celebrations, gatherings and festivities. Still, there are some years my journey to the manger feels more lonely, more overwhelmed, more soul-weary, and saddle-worn than I could have imagined.
Do you ever feel that way? Sometimes I wonder if that’s how Joseph and Mary felt on their journey to the manger?
I can only imagine that the dusty, dirty road to Bethlehem in those last days of her pregnancy drained every ounce of Mary’s energy from her bones; the soreness of her swollen belly and the ache of her ankles having travelled all those miles when all she wanted to do was rest and prepare for her baby’s birth. Perhaps she and Joseph arrived at the inn too weary and too exhausted to go one step further.
Mary and Joseph’s journey to the manger certainly wasn’t ideal. They weren’t settled, they weren’t rested. They weren’t. They were barely holding on. And when they finally stumbled into the stable, finally made a pallet to lay their heads, He. Met. Them. Yes, He met them, right in the humblest, dimmest, messiest of places.
Maybe that’s how Abba, Father wanted it. Maybe He didn’t want Mary and Joseph to be dressed in their finest for baby Jesus' arrival. Maybe He didn’t need them to set a table fit for a king. Maybe God in His infinite wisdom knew this King would spend His life reaching out to the broken, healing the diseased, and loving the outcast. How fitting that Jesus be born in a way that He lived —meeting people right where they were and transforming everything simply with His presence.
Isn’t that just like Jesus is with us on our journey? He sees the road we’ve been on. He knows the sorrow in our bones and the cry of our hearts. He isn’t waiting for any of His children to get fixed up to embrace and love us. He meets us right where we are. He makes His glorious entrance in the middle of our mess, in the moment of our need. He does. Always. That’s who He is. He is Jesus. God with us. And He longs to be with you, right where you are today.
The journey to the manger isn’t always ideal, isn’t always easy or joy-filled. You don’t need to wait until next year to invite Him in. You don’t need to get more healed to allow Him into your life. You don’t need to pretend until the season passes by. Don’t. Please, don’t.
Come to Him. Call out to Him. He will hear you, He will forgive you. He will make everything new. No matter what you feel like today, He is waiting to make His entrance into your heart, your life, your world. He will meet you with His love, His grace, His glory – right there at the manger.
About This Community
Don't we all want a little peace? My heart for this community is to provide just that - a needed refuge from all the burdens that weigh us down, some encouragement and inspiration to keep us weary travelers moving forward on our journeys, and some practical advice to help each of us navigate the challenges of life and relationships. Whether in our parenting, our marriages, our faith, or the broken places in our hearts, this place is for anyone who dares to reach beyond the hopelessness that surrounds us and embrace a lifestyle of emotional abundance and peace!
About Peace for a Lifetime
In my new book, Peace for a Lifetime, I share the keys to cultivating a life that’s deeply rooted, overflowing, and abundant, the fruit of which is peace. Through personal and professional experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I've discovered how to take the broken pieces of life and find indestructible peace with myself, God and with others. Through my story and other’s stories you’ll realize that you can experience the life for which you long. You can experience abundance beyond anything you can imagine. You can experience peace, not just for today, not just for tomorrow. You can experience peace —for a lifetime!
Peace for a Lifetime is available on Amazon.com.
Book Trailer: https://vimeo.com/155392891