When John and I were trying to become parents, there were times when becoming a mother seemed impossible. But nothing is impossible for God. After all, he sent his son to be born to a young virgin in Nazareth.
As it turned out, God had a miracle in mind for our family, too—through adoption. It was the first Friday in Advent when John and I boarded a plane together to fly to China to meet our baby boy, who had just turned 2.
We spent that Advent far from everything that was familiar as we became parents for the first time. I remember thinking that just as Mary and Joseph traveled away from home to meet their child, we too were journeying to our child—a little one we had never met but we knew would change our world. And he has.
God made the impossible possible for our family.
This year as I reflect on that Advent journey and the one we’re on now, I’m struck by how Mary and Joseph opened themselves up to God’s plans for their lives. They had the opportunity to make different decisions, but they were guided by faith and prayer. Their choices transformed our world forever.
The Christmas story is impossible. Yet it is real. It is true.
God loves each of us just as he loves Mary and Joseph. And he has something in mind for each of us, just as he did for them. Even during this time, when there’s so much we feel we cannot do, God might be asking us to consider how we can say yes to his hopes for us.
In a pandemic, so much seems impossible—or at least extremely difficult. But Advent reminds us that everything is possible. Mary and Joseph encountered so many challenges on their travels—no room in the inn, a birth in a stable, a flight to Egypt to avoid a king who wanted to kill their child. Through everything, God was with them, guiding them, loving them, and reminding them that they were special to him.
What does God hope for us this Advent season?
Maybe he wants us to listen more closely for his voice.
Maybe he wants us to share with him what’s on our hearts.
Maybe he wants us to try to push worry aside and embrace joy.
Maybe he wants us to stretch ourselves and try something new.
Maybe he wants us to ask less of ourselves in this trying time.
Maybe he just wants us to know we are loved.
However our Advent takes shape, I like to remember that fundamentally God wants us to know that he is with us. We don’t need to approach Advent with rules or expectations or demands. If we seek Jesus, we will catch sight of the star and find our way to the stable. And Jesus will be waiting for us there, arms wide open, full of love.
With God, everything is possible.
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