Today is the last Sunday of Advent!! This is the Sunday of Love. And Love is a big one, eh? Big as in tough, fulfilling, hard and worthwhile. Love is so important.
Christmas preparations are well underway, if not completed. I feel like I could look at my To-Do List and it would be a bunch of crossed off items. I have two gifts to finish, a few to wrap and I’d like to bake some more tasty treats but that’s it, I’m pretty much done! My plan was to have all the gifts delivered and the running around done yesterday so that today and Christmas Eve day I could relax and enjoy some down time. But, it the midst of the running and scrambling, I wonder how much Love I showed to my family?
I harped about getting ready and out the door, I harped about tones when speaking to siblings, I harped about this, that and the other thing. I sighed, rolled my eyes and silently said much worse. And yet, in the quiet of the morning, Hannah curled up on my lap and snuggled as we rocked in the rocking chair. She loves me regardless. Michael loves me regardless of my tone with him or the girls. Lena loves me regardless of my lack of knowledge in how to parent a pre-teen. I am flawed, imperfect, still learning, the overwhelm of keeping all the balls in the air makes my fuse short. But, I am loved regardless.
I’m not sure when Michael and I started the ‘Regardless’ bit in our proclamations of affection for each other. It’s been a long time now. But it’s accurate. We love each other through it all. We love regardless of our faults. It’s like the saying ‘warts and all’, but in our terms. And today on the Sunday of Love in this season of Advent, it is that kind of Love we need to talk about.
Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am yours
Lord I’m forever yours
God loves us regardless of our sin, our failures, our disobedience. He loves us enough that He sent His son in the form of a wee baby. That wee baby was spoken about in the Old Testament and the path he needed to take was clear. Somehow that wee baby was going to be king – say what??? King?? Rescuer of the nations? That tiny baby who was born in a barn was going to save us all? Seems unlikely. And yet, that baby grew and eventually made his way to the cross where the sacrifice of his life did pay the price for all our inadequacies, our failures and our sin. God loves us regardless of it all. That is Love. That is the Love we speak of on the last Sunday of Advent. Here we are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the focus is already on the cross.
Sometimes the holidays are hard. I understand. Loss, feuds, struggles make it hard. But know that God loves you and that wee baby is His gift to you. And the Love that God loves you with is unending, big enough and unconditional. This Christmas, it is my prayer that you find the Hope, Peace, Joy and Love in our Saviour.
To be continued,
Lori
