Advent Reflection | Saturday, December 5

Today’s A Weary World Rejoices story comes from Sadie Skibo:

As an introvert, I am quite good at keeping myself busy and after buying a house this spring, I had lots of “to-do’s” that leant themselves to social distance. While I mowed the lawn, pulled carpet off the walls (yes, shag carpet on the walls), and weeded relentlessly, I felt like there was something lurking behind me; a to-do list item that I couldn’t cross off. For a while I just chalked it up to “new house sounds” and the stress of being a teacher in a pandemic.  

But I realized that the work that was required had nothing to do with my house or my job. God was calling me to work alongside Him—but the project was me. To me, there is nothing scarier than the call for introspection without a good reason to put it off. After trying very hard to convince myself that the real problem was the ugly wallpaper and the unpacked boxes, I stopped. I sat. I cried. I wrote. I listened. I was.  

I allowed the enforced space between myself and others to be filled by God. And in that space, I uncovered something new; a beloved, gay, child of God. Believe it or not, this was news to me but I knew it to be true because the peace that I felt certainly was beyond my understanding.

Looking back, the effort to hold the Creator of the Universe at arms-length was far more draining than allowing Him to guide me through my heart’s work. So if you are tired of trying to fill your day so you don’t have to think about it, whatever it may be for you, let go. God’s got it. And you. 

Philippians 4 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

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