Is 40:1-11 / Mt 18:12-14
Isaiah reminds us quite pointedly today of our mortality. “All mankind is grass, and all their glory like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower wilts….” How true, and how fast it happens. Before we know it, our lives are half over or more. And we can find ourselves sad or disappointed or even fearful about what comes next. There’s a yearning in us for something more substantial, something more lasting.
Isaiah shows us where to look. “Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever.” And that’s where we need to plant our lives, squarely in the Lord who is the ground of our being. Aging has its drawbacks, but it has some singular blessings as well. It can remind us of what lasts and what doesn’t, of where our hearts will be satisfied and filled full, and where they won’t. It can prod us to let go of what doesn’t count, and to grasp at real life, not just appearances.
Thank God that he’s giving you the gift of time, time to grow up on the inside and to learn to value what has lasting value. Thank God, and let him come all the way into your life.
May your Christmas celebration be more than just a recollection of events long past. Let it be a rejoicing at his coming to take up residence within you, never to leave again.
