One minute it was love and happiness, voices of laughter drifting past my ears while I folded laundry. The next, there were shrieks of anger followed by footsteps stomping up the stairs and “MOM!” and there he was standing in my doorway. My sweet Isaac, wild-eyed, tears streaming and frustration.
We sat on my bed for a minute as he unfolded his heart and told me the story. There was a game, and sharing needed to be involved and, he could not… because like most of our hearts, selfishness sits on the throne fair and square. I whispered to him the beginning of “our verse,” the one we all know around here. I put my face close to his and held him. “Be devoted…” I said quietly, his shoulders still shaking, tears flowing, heart breaking. But, he shook his head ‘yes’. “…to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” He knew.
We all know. Around here we are aware some days more than others. Our hearts are dark and ugly. We are hardened and rough around the edges.
Often there seems to be no way to escape the ways of my sinful, dirty heart. I’ve had plenty of my own stomping-up-stairs, shoulders shaking, heart breaking, selfish moments lately. Plenty of them, in fact. My son’s heart and mine are a pair ; we are so much alike.
But this morning, I was reminded. Today we lit the shepherd’s candle for advent – I think it is my favorite.
I find significant relief with the knowledge that God sent word of His Son’s birth to a group of rough and ragged shepherds. Unkept, uneducated, unworthy. The shepherds, least likely and least lovable in society, He chose to tell them first, and in such an extravagant way – a glorious choir of angels.
Hope for my own condition is made plain right here in Luke 2:
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
The God of the universe, sent a Savior to us. Jesus, God’s Son, was a most precious and costly gift. And He came to earth for the likes of shepherds, and the likes of me and my sinful heart, and for my sweet boy too. undeserving. unlovely. But today as that candle was lit, my heart was revived. He came so long ago, he came for the least of these. and He came for me.
daily portion 