Advent Instrumental – by Don Coppo
Tuesday, Day 17: The with-God life
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:20-23
Thought: All this took place…
Have you ever been in one of those “all this took place” moments? It’s when you realize all that you have been through matters… it all has profound meaning… eternal meaning. At our son Paul’s memorial service my (Clare) dad said this in the eulogy; “We can shake our fists at God and say, “what is the meaning of this …or we can ask what is the meaning in this”… and there is profound meaning in this.” Twenty-three Christmases after Paul’s entrance into heaven we keep finding profound meaning in “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said.” The picture above is Paul Anthony Loughrige, 4-1-88. Paul is our youngest mentor in the with-God life. Paul taught us the value of human life, the courage to love unconditionally, a passion for eternity and how to fight the good fight of faith. We love our Paul. His life and death taught us at an early age to begin trusting the plans of God even before we understand why “all this took place…”
The incarnation of Jesus laid the ground work for how we would understand all of our life with-God. The promise of Jesus birth happened ”after all this took place”… how might these words apply to your story… your with-God story? Listen for how the life of Jesus teaches us everything we need to know… even before we know completely.
Practice: Read the scripture passage… imagine Joseph hearing these words from God about his pregnant fiancé that he had not slept with… what must it have been like to be Joseph? Now, let the words of God become yours… what is the “all this took place” meaning been for you in the past? Can you trust God now with all that is unresolved in your heart? Talk to God about your questions, maybe even write about your wonderings… then just rest in God’s love for you… rest in Gods promise that there will be a day when you will understand why “all this took place”… rest in the promise of God
Prayer: Be patient toward all that is unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.
— Rainer Maria Rilke, “Letters to a Young Poet”
Respond: Share with a spiritual friend or reply to us. Let someone know how these thoughts are helping you in your journey.
Blue book (Lectionary) Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
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©Advent Music 2011-by Don Coppo