Greetings,
One of my favorite shows on television is “Extreme Makeover Home Edition”, this is a program that picks a different family each week who has a personal struggle and lives in substandard housing and they send them on vacation and build them a house adequate for their needs while they are gone for some much needed R&R. I have yet to watch that show and not have tears rolling down my eyes. The rawness of their suffering and their willingness to bear their vulnerability to the viewing world is amazing.
The group of people who come together to make this home come to reality is inspiring and what is truly amazing is how each community comes together to help their neighbor in their time of need. I don’t remember seeing a show that didn’t refer in some way to the Great Creator (even though they are not always Christians). As I watch this show I am reminded how Jesus would probably have it on his favorites list as well.
To see the joy in the faces of the volunteers and the compassion in the tears of the design team is profoundly moving. The people who come together give up their salaries for the week to give back to the hurting in their community. I am not talking about a few people; I am talking hundreds of construction workers and others. Often while they are building the house there is a simultaneous project going on that will benefit the entire community.
What this show emulates is love of neighbor. It brings out the best in people, it shows the love we have in us and each week we are treated to a hugely wonderful dose of the love of Christ in a real and tangible way.
As we approach this Advent and upcoming Christmas season I hope we can all find ways to recall the good in humanity. I hope we can turn our focus to the power we have been gifted with in our ability to be compassionate and what skills and joys that might evoke in our walk with Christ and how we might serve to love each other. Not waiting for us each to be lovable, but loving each other where we currently are and encouraging each other in our journey toward spiritual health and wholeness in Christ Jesus.
You see it was God’s hope in humanity that precipitated the birth of the Christ Child, it was the knowledge that we had it in us to be models of love because we are created in ‘LOVE’S’ image. For God is Love.
This Advent let’s all pray for our own ‘Extreme Makeover, Christ ADDITION’ to our lives. Let’s take our brokenness and ask Christ to give us a makeover in God’s image. Let’s be willing to be vulnerable and ask Christ to give us a makeover in our faith journey. Let’s be willing to put our disagreements aside and celebrate the diversity with which we have been blessed and then ask Christ to give us a makeover in our attitudes toward each other.
Finally, let us rejoice at the knowledge that no matter how low we might be feeling God has something better waiting for us; let’s anticipate the joy that awaits.
May God richly bless your Advent journey and bring you joy in the season of Christmas.
Mother Sue +
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