24. Arriving Messy
24. Arriving Messy
Matthew 3.4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
The preparation of the Advent season can be a daunting thing. Quite possibly that is because we think of it as something extraordinary. We know that the coming of Jesus into this world. God in human flesh is most definitely an extraordinary event.
But have you ever thought about the notion that we spend much of our time preparing? We prepare for our day by setting out the outfit we will wear. We prepare supper each and every day. We prepare to hear the reports of the lab tests. We prepare for the game Friday night. We prepare an awful lot. Often times what we prepare for never happens. We prepare for the worst. We even have mottos for organization that state, “Be prepared.” Magicians tells us, “Prepare to be amazed.”
Let’s just focus on one. Preparing a meal. Working with food and ingredients can be messy. Chopping, peeling, mixing, sautéing, brazing all can create a mess. Plainly put. Preparations, as is life, are messy.
In our minds we want the end result to be perfect. We want a meal with the family that is delicious. We envision laughter around the table. Everyone enjoying themselves and having a great experience. During Christmas this desire is heightened. We want the Norman Rockwell Christmas. But to get there it’s; run to the store, get the last gift with ribbons and bows, make sure everyone has somewhere to sleep, oh and don’t forget clean towels…messy.
Before Jesus came to the manger his cousin John came. John the Baptist who lived in the wilderness. He ate locust and wild honey. He wore clothes made from camel hair. He came proclaiming, “Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His path straight.” John came without fanfare. His blunt lifestyle and message were not decorated with tinsel and blinking lights. There was nothing glamorous about him nor his message. One might even say he was a tad bit messy. His message did, however, have eternal consequence. Prepare the way of the Lord…
#arrival #messy