Advent 3: Joy {Elisabeth}

"The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people" (Luke 1:25, HCSB).

An angel's good news beggars the priest's belief

And stops his mouth.

A seed of joy, sown by an expired prayer,

Takes root in his aged bride's shriveled womb,

Flutters, kicks new life into dead hopes.

Fruit of the promise swells, burgeons,

Tautens the walls of empty longing

With outlandish hope.

God sends a son called Grace*--

A son for Elisabeth--

Grace for her disgrace,

Favor for her shame,

Joy for her sorrow,

But grace upon grace:

Her Grace-child jumps for joy,

Joy dancing in her barren places.

Mute joy-leaps hail the Author of joy,
And the mother of Grace meets the mother of her Lord.

Grace rejoices in the coming

Of the Grace-giver Himself,

As near and as far

As the embrace of two unexpectedly expectant mothers

(One too soon, one too late, both in good time)

Rejoicing together in good news

Of the promise coming,

The Sunrise from on high dawning,

So near they can feel it kick.

*The name "John" is a variant of the Hebrew for "Yahweh is gracious."

The Dirty Truth

Cat in the garden,
Dog out the door,
Mud on the carpet,
Jeans clean no more.

Mama grabs the washcloth;
Puppy tries to hide;
A chase ensues all through the house;
Next time, let's play inside!

(Disclaimer:  it's not all tea and quilts and snuggles at Wits' End.)


Seriously, though, please join me in the chorus of thanksgiving for God's many gifts:
Mud, plenty of mud
One of the cutest Christmas photos ever in the mail
Phone visits with family
Listening to my grandmother's Pearl Harbor memories
New lavatory faucet that doesn't drip
Indoor plumbing
Water safe for drinking and hand washing
Going to bed with a full stomach
Warm blankets, coat, scarves, hats
God's timing to protect us from temptation
Kindred spirits in surprising places
Tree lit and ornamented
Pink poinsettias
Memories of poinsettia trees overhanging the roads in Vietnam
Wrapped packages slowly appearing
Making lists
Checking items off
Christmas music everywhere
Remembering a birthday in time to send a card
Working weekends
Relatives protected from serious harm in a car accident
One of Santa's elves jogging past us at the park (yes, really)
(gratitude list #2376-2396)


Linking up to Ann's celebration of thanksgiving to God...

and Laura's Playdates

Advent 2: Peace

The suffering saints cried out, "How long, O Lord?
How long until You come to reign and judge?
Your covenant with Abraham, is it
Forgotten? Grace depleted? Favor spent?"

Then cried a Babe, God's answer in the flesh:
The Prince of Peace who came to reign and save;
The promises, so many, realized
At last as Yahweh whispers, "I am here."


Linking up a day late to Laura and a day early to Ann:

Another Rainy Monday

"The Sky is low--the Clouds are mean" here for the fourth consecutive day (Emily Dickinson, #1075). Allen calls this cold, wet, grey, blustery sort of day "London weather," though neither of us has ever been there. Before I even woke this morning (and we wake early around here), a text message of another in a series of hard eucharisteos for a loved one had arrived. Saturday an email brought news of an even harder trust for a friend's child.

Even so, inexplicably except for grace, the word upon my heart today is "glad." This is a day made by the Lord. Nature may be "caught/Without her Diadem," but He is not. God is on His throne; His grace is sure; His love endures forever. Therefore, I can rejoice and be glad.

Warm blankets, hot tea, a snuggle puppy, and Christmas tree lights don't hurt, either.

Sorry for the photo rerun. Minor technical difficulties with the video I intended.

Today I'm also returning thanks to God for the last week of His blessings:
Advent/Christmas carols;
the wise guys men a-wandering about the house;
Allen laughing with me over an old Dick Van Dyke Show episode, even though there were no explosions;
winning a blog giveaway for the first time ever;
our favorite kennel closing unexpectedly, opportunity to look up for guidance again;
lunch with my mother and a friend who is a sister in Christ and in chronic illness;
the fellowship of Christ's suffering;
Allen fetching me frozen yogurt;
another transformative message from Joni Eareckson Tada;
the patience of my First Husband: "Many a time a believer will put himself out of humour with the Lord for some slight turn in providence, but our precious Husband knows our silly hearts too well to take any offence at our ill manners" (Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, "Morning, December 3");
a marriage book I've been wanting, now available in Kindle format;
enjoying a family movie night with much less back discomfort than the last attempt in August;
desire fulfilled to give a pig to a needy family;
no new issues to report from my lupus checkup;
continued resting, waiting, managing chest pain until God decides to take it away;
He didn't drop any stitches when He knit me together, no matter how things appear (Psalm 139:13, HCSB).
(from the gratitude list, #2336-2354)


Giving thanks in community with the others at Ann's...

Advent I: Kingdom

The Kingdom of God came,
eternal King of endless realm
an embryo in a virgin's womb,
a baby laid in an animal's crib,
angel-announced Savior
adored by shepherds,
worshiped by wise men seeking the King of the Jews,
hunted by a wicked king fearing a coup.

The King came
preaching the good news of His Kingdom,
healing broken bodies and souls,
breaking bread to feed multitudes,
blessing, breaking, giving Himself for our sins.

Pilate asked Him, was He a king?
He said without saying, He was.

The King came
on a cross,
thieves His courtiers,
a placard bearing His only crime:
"Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

The Kingdom of God comes
in the risen, ascended Jesus
sitting at the right hand of the Father;
pouring His Spirit into those who trust Him,
worship Him, follow Him;
in His power in their weakness;
in His light radiant in their brokenness;
in healing some wounds, redeeming all.

The Kingdom of God is coming
when the restoration of all things arrives,
the King on a white horse in salvation-soaked robes:
Faithful and True,
Word of God,
King of kings and Lord of lords;
death, last enemy, defeated;
His palace a forever, tearless, deathless, darkless tabernacle:
no brokenness there,
no loneliness,
only light, life, healing, glory.

Come to the King, O broken one.
Enter His Kingdom through the cruciform gate.
There is yet time.

Let the people of the Kingdom pray,
"Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done."
Come, Lord Jesus.
We wait for You.

Linking today with Jen and Michelle (better late than never) and tomorrow with Ann:
(And celebrating 200th published post! Thanks be to God.)