Life Off Line Challenge: Hospitality

So in my blog planning notebook, today's "Life Off Line Challenge" is "Hospitality." I thought about sharing my favorite books on hospitality, writing about the guest books we've kept through the years, about the blessing of having people in your home, or about how you don't have to have the latest color scheme to invite people in.  But then ...


Monday night we were laying on the bed with our 17 year old daughter, talking about the rather typical teen issue of wanting/needing the car, and our conversation went from that to other things. Before I knew it, my words had been harsh, she felt turned away, and the door to her heart and mine closed off from one another. She left with watery eyes, and I turned to Jeff with a heavy mind. He gently welcomed me though I didn't deserve it, invited me to be vulnerable, and shared what I needed to hear. I took the walk down the dark hallway to confess my sin of being inhospitable to my own, to ask Jo's forgiveness and to give mine in return. 


It's a good thing to be hospitable to strangers. Hospitality is so much in need in our world that many colleges even offer an online hospitality management degree. Hebrews 13:2 tells us to be hospitable to strangers, and that means working it out by opening our hands and homes OFF line. But true hospitality starts at home, by rolling out the welcome mat with our words and facial expressions and tones to those we live with. We can't invite others to come and be served and encouraged if we don't live Life Off Line that way at home. 

And I didn't even get to tell you about the cute signs I use for coffee at parties ... but that's okay. My family knows how the kitchen works, and that's where Hospitality off line starts.

Today's Life Off Line Challenge:
- Do one special thing to prepare to "welcome" your family/roommates home, as a reminder to do so with your heart. Like ... light a candle, make a sign to hang on the door, make some tea/coffee when you normally wouldn't, or be AT the door to greet them. Then invite them into your heart.
- Next time your tongue takes over, stop and consider how you would say the same "content" to a stranger before you speak it to a loved one.

When we don't make room

After reflecting on all of those who made room for Jesus during His days walking on earth, there have been those who have emerged who did NOT make room. They beg not to be ignored. They beg to warn and teach us. They chose not to change their hearts and lives to accommodate the Christ, and instead, they were left with loss. 

Except for their dress and language, they fit into our world today. People like:

• The leaders of Jesus' hometown synagogue who wouldn't believe the Messianic claims of "Joseph's son" and, instead, drove Him out with wrath (Luke 4:16-30).
• The pharisees who were "filled with fury" when Jesus healed a withered hand on the Sabbath; they had no insight, only accusation (Luke 6:6-11).
• The Innkeeper whose words we never hear, but who must've reported there was simply no place for them in "the Inn" where travelers found shelter, but Jesus found no place to lay His head (Luke 9:58). 
• The betrayer Judas, from the intimate group of followers, whose heart longed for greed over God. He chose a pittance of silver instead of the Savior (Luke 22:3-6).
• The ruler Herod who sat on the earthly throne, treating Jesus with contempt and using his power to find him guilty, sending him back to Pilate. Once curious about the Messiah, He showed contempt instead of compassion (Luke 23:8-15).
• The urgent and demanding crowds who cried out for Jesus to be crucified. Caught up with emotion, they opted for the chance to satisfy their lust for violence, rather than their need for restoration (Luke 23: 23, 27, 48). 

Their choices were born out of hearts so filled with their own desires and their own idols that they didn't want to make room for Jesus. The same Jesus once proclaimed by a multitude of heavenly hosts, worshiped by awestruck shepherds, sought by oriental kings, and awaited by the godly. Ultimately, some chose not to prepare room for the Savior, and they bought only LOSS. Loss of understanding, nearness to Jesus, the truth, eternal life, justice, mercy, fellowship, and so much more. 

There are others tucked in between the pages of Christ's story, and their are others tucked in between the pages of our stories. Oh, that we when we have moments of decision we would choose to make room!

The more we have, the harder it is

visualbiblealive.com

The more we have, the more we have to let go of to make room for Jesus. A centurion was an officer in the Roman army, over a hundred men. In the story of God coming to earth as a man, the Centurion who supervised the Messiah's death wasn't the first to face the choice to make room; there was also the Centurion who made Jesus marvel. But the centurion at Calvary was caught up in a very different day in the life of Christ. Did he tell his men they had permission to cast lots for Jesus' clothing? Did he order the making of the sign at the top of the cross? Did he add his voice to the mocking jeers? Did he count as Jesus was lashed? Did he oversee the hammering of the nails? He helped put the Son of God to death. 


Just after three o'clock in the afternoon, when the whole land was cloaked in darkness, the high and heavy curtain separating men from the Holy of Holies in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The physical obstacle to know the Almighty was removed, and Jesus declared out lout that His work was finished. This was the day Simeon had foretold, as he stood in the temple with the young parents holding their baby son, the day that would pierce Mary's heart. The earth shook in response to the unfolding battle on the hill, and the Centurion watched. 


As the veil was torn in the temple, the veil of unbelief was removed from the Officer's heart. He moved his power and prestige out of the way of his faith, and he believed. Having heard Jesus speak to the criminals, having watched the divine darkness wrap around them, having heard Christ pray to His Father, and finally having watched the Son give up his life .... he made room in his heart to BELIEVE.

Despite the fact that his soldiers would've been with and around him, he declared, "Certainly this man was innocent!" (Luke 23:47) and “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:54).

He saw Jesus. He praised God for what he witnessed. He believed. 

If you're like me, you probably have a lot left to do before our Christmas celebrations this weekend. Food to prepare, gifts to wrap (and buy), events to attend, cleaning to do. The temptation builds to get our work done and ignore taking time to make room to see Jesus, praise God for who He is, and strengthen our belief. We can read Advent stories and watch Christmas programs of the amazing events of Christmas, without making room to see them anew, praise God for them, and affirm our belief; we can rush past the point of Jesus coming. If we give in to the temptation, we'll find ourselves on December 26th feeling rather empty, disappointed, and even blue. We will have missed the joy that comes from pushing aside a "hundred" things to make room for the Son of God who came for us. 

Today let's make room to see Jesus, praise God, and believe.

Are you desperate enough?

To be desperate means you feel urgency with little to no hope. When was the last time you felt desperate? 

visualbiblealive.com

When God's only Son Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James and John, "a great crowd met him," (Lk. 9:37), but in the mass of people a desperate man found a way to be heard and "cried out, 'Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child'" (v. 38). Desperation pushed past the crowd right to Jesus. 


The man's only son was being constantly plagued by a demon, causing the boy to be gripped with convulsing, screaming, and foaming at that mouth. The desperate dad said of his son that the demon "shatters him, and will hardly leave him" (v.39).  The father knew the cause of the pain, and he could see the impact, but he was powerless to change it. Life often includes struggles we feel, with causes we know, but are powerless to change. 


Before he became desperate enough to cry out to Jesus, the man had appealed to the disciples, and they failed to heal the boy. It's in our nature to turn to our earthly options to try and solve our problems, but when we get desperate enough, we cry out to Jesus.

The suffering son was brought to Jesus who, "healed the boy, and gave him back to his father" (v.42). The watching crowd couldn't help but be amazed "at the majesty of God" (v.43). 

Christmas time is notorious for stirring up suffering, disappointment, and even depression, hidden behind tinsel and living Christmas trees and martini glasses. Norman Rockwell and Hallmark Channel and songs about coming home for Christmas distract us, but the window panes of real life are not only frosted; they're dirty.

As our disappointments take hold, may we make room in the crowd of "holiday stuff" to cry out to Jesus for healing and help and hope.  Making room for Jesus reveals the majesty of God!

~ Are you desperate enough to make room to cry out to Jesus? (Luke 9:37-43)

Do you love this much?

Last night I had the pleasure of bringing the ladies of Serenity Shelter to our church to share in our Christmas concert and then stay for a fun time of fellowship with our Serenity team. Some of the ladies have only been at the Shelter a short time, but I've been building relationships with others for a long time. Some of them fit the description of a woman once faced with the chance to make room for Jesus in her life. Any of us could fit the description of the city woman "who was a sinner," but I really want to do what she did when faced with Jesus.

Jesus received the invitation to dine with a pharisee at his table, in his house. Despite the fact that the "woman of the city" must've known how she would be looked upon by the host, the chance to be with Jesus overpowered any shame or shyness she felt. She took an alabaster flask, and she boldly went in to find the Messiah. Weeping with gratitude and awe, she knelt at his feet and washed them with her tears, anointing them with the ointment. Those who see themselves as they are and see Jesus as He is can't help but end up at the feet of the Savior.


How unlike the religious man who made the dinner invitation, a man who didn't even provide water to wash the Master's feet from walking with the crowds on the dirty roads. The woman's act of love was an outward expression of her inward repentance. Like the words used for the faith-filled centurion, Jesus told the the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (Luke 7:50). Her faith was her salvation. 

True faith IS bold. 

Faith is not reserved for the holy, but for the humble. The others around the table had a hard time understanding it, thinking the woman was unworthy to be touched and wondering who Jesus was to grant forgiveness of sins. But for the city woman, Jesus said, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little" (Luke 7:47). 

 The more clearly we see our sin, the more clearly we see our forgiveness.  The more clearly we see our forgiveness, the more we love. The love of one forgiven much is a beautiful thing.

Let's prepare room for Jesus today by getting our hearts ready to pour out our treasures in love & gratitude for being forgiven much.  (Read the whole story of the woman of the city here.)

Ways to prepare Him room in your heart:
~ the holiday season is busy; take time to read God's Word & memorize a verse about His forgiveness
~ the holiday season is hectic; carve out quiet to talk to God & listen to Him, uninterrupted
~ the holiday season is noisy; listen to music about the birth of Jesus & be in awe!
~ the holiday season is demanding; ask God what He wants you to do for Him
~ the holiday season is expensive; list your valuables, & look for a way to give out of love

Covenant # 6 - Written on our hearts

As we continue on our Covenant journey, Matthew 1:1 identifies the One who established the New Covenant: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Mt.1:1).

Jesus' Ancestor Abraham -
We know that the Abrahamic Covenant was a one-sided agreement God cut with His friend, Abraham. In it, He promised the Land, countless descendants, and many nations to come through Abraham's own seed. That Covenant passed from Isaac to Jacob, who was later called "Israel."


Jesus' Ancestor David -
The Davidic Covenant included God's promise that He would build a house/Kingdom for David that would last forever. Ultimately, this Covenant was realized when David's descendant, Jesus, was born to be the Messiah.

The Covenant of the Law -
God had also made the Covenant of the Law with the people of Israel, a 2 sided agreement made when the Nation was freed from slavery in Egypt. The people were meant to live a holy life before those around them, showing God to the world. This Covenant was broken when the people rejected God and chose false gods, inviting His chastisement, instead.

Jesus sharing about the New Covenant. (VisualBibleAlive.com)

The New Covenant - 
Kay Arthur says, "The Law was given so God's people would know how to live in the land." But what the Law could not do, Jesus accomplished (Rom. 8:2-4). The Son of God was the only One who could fulfill the demands of the Law for us. In doing so, as the Son of Abraham and of David and of God the Father, He created the New Covenant, and it went further than any other.  He celebrated this New Covenant at the Passover dinner with His disciples. (Luke 22:19-21)

This New Covenant reaches me! It reaches you!

"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."   Jeremiah 31:33,34

For those of us grafted in as God's people, we share in the New Covenant made when Jesus, Himself, was the sacrifice:  the torn flesh, the spilled blood, the promise. More than the tablets of stone upon which the Law was written, God wants to write His truth on our hearts.  As His word is etched on our very being, He wants to be our God, to have us be His people, to know Him, to be forgiven. 

Tablets of stone may be broken, lost, or faded, but by the New Covenant, His word on our hearts and lives will change us and bear fruit that lasts!

What to do with your chip

We got a chip in our windshield ... weeks ago. We ignored it ... for weeks. We were busy. We're on a budget. We were busy. Did I say we were too busy to deal with the chip? ;)


But ignored chips turn into small cracks, and as they're exposed to the elements of life (like wind, rain, changes in temperature), those small cracks get bigger. I know where we're headed ... to a shattered windshield. If we don't find time to deal with this crack, we're going to have a bigger problem on our hands, and our "busyness" will be halted at a time not of our choice. It could even get dangerous.


As I've watched the chip morph into a crack and then watched the crack creep across the windshield toward my direct sight, the Lord has turned my thoughts to my life.

Are there chips in my life I'm ignoring? Maybe they're not directly in my line of vision; maybe they're in the "outer edges." Maybe no one else has noticed yet.

Do I really think my life's chip won't morph into a crack? Life elements will come, like stress, physical issues, disappointment, sin, and changes in relational climates. With each, the crack will lengthen.

Song of Solomon 2:15

Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.

What am I waiting for? If I'm too busy to address the little chips and cracks in my life, I'm too busy. Or I'm too busy with the wrong things.

Does my life really have to shatter and hurt someone, before I deal with that "little" chip? I can't choose the time or place or circumstances when the crack will shatter. 


It's raining at my house today, and the weather has turned colder. The crack is bigger today than it was yesterday. It's past time to do something.

Do you have a chip you need to take care of?

Congratulations to Dana, the winner of our giveaway this week with Marriage Mondays. Dana was chosen by Random.org, but she is also the granddaughter of Elaine and Hugh, the couple we were so inspired by on Monday's Marriage Survivor story. Watch for a new giveaway next Monday, along with a new story to encourage and challenge us all!

Covenant #4 - Through the Veil

I find great comfort in knowing NOTHING can separate me from Jesus (Rom. 8:38-39). But it wasn't always like that. I know that I was born into a heritage that would keep me from holy God; only His initiative to take away my sin barrier could give me open access to Him. I'm so glad He first loved me and made a way to Himself.


When God made a covenant with Abram in Genesis 15,  Abram BELIEVED God's promise of descendants like the stars. When God told him to get animals to sacrifice, Abram obeyed and put the two pieces of flesh opposite each other, leaving a space between. After Abram slept, God divinely brought a firepot and a torch to pass through the pieces of flesh covered in blood. As a 21st century gal, this might not seem like it makes much sense, but its meaning reaches beyond the limited years of my life. Covenant is defined by what happened here to Abram, the man who believed and was considered "righteous" because of his faith.

As the nation of Israel tried to gain access to the Holy God, they had to be represented by a priest who would enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement on their behalf. God's presence was there awaiting them, but it was hidden behind a veil.  Access was limited. It wasn't a wedding veil, but an 8 inch thick curtain that would've taken 2 teams of horses to rip apart. There was a separation between God and man under the Old Covenant.

When we look into the New Testament (Covenant), we find the "rest of the story" that explains some of what Abram's experience means to us, and we see the beautiful granting of access. As Abram's covenant was forged through blood, ours is also made possible by blood," but the sacrifice for us was made once for all when Jesus was crucified. 

"Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith..." (Heb. 10:18-22a).  

When Jesus died (Mark 15:25-39) the heavy veil that hung in front of the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem was torn in two by God, showing that the separation was gone.

VisualBibleAlive.com

 

When Jesus' flesh was torn for us, He gave us access to know and unite with our Heavenly Father in a covenant relationship. Where once we were separated, but we're now invited to draw near. Breath taking. He is OUR sacrificial Lamb, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. And just like covenant happens only by passing through the pieces covered in blood, Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

By passing through the sacrifice of Jesus' body, our Lamb, we gain access into a relationship with God. The curtain that once kept Him hidden from us is gone, and He waits for us to draw near. This song expresses the truth of the cross that welcomes us to God so beautifully. You might just click to let it play (If this is in email form, click the post title to get to the video) as you sit quietly, close your eyes and meditate, or just go about your work and let the Lord seal this beautiful truth on your heart today. 

I'm so glad He took initiative to love me and make a way to Himself. You?

Marriage Mondays: Antoinette's Story

Since "two becoming one" takes divine work, we need to hear stories of victory. I want to give something precious to my Marriage Mondays readers in October. When a marriage relationship goes to the hardest of places, Survivor Stories give us hope that we, too, can experience the sweetness of being one. 

Each Monday in October (there are 5!) I'll share a "Survivor Story" to encourage you. Along with the beauty of the love you'll read in each one, our first Survivor, Antoinette, has donated a gift to be given as a giveaway with each story. She is a generous soul who loves to lavish by making jewelery, and so I have the joy of giving a weekly creation from One of a Kind Jewelery to someone who comments on that post or comments on the Come Have a Peace Facebook page that day. That makes it easy to enter. I'll announce the winner the Wednesday following.  If you want to catch a glimpse of today's necklace and matching earrings (Orange/white in honor of UT football season this week!), you can see the photo on the CHP Facebook page.

Antoinette's Story ~

When Clarence and Antoinette moved to our city for law school twenty years ago, she remembers that they "thrived on love, but had no idea of what was need to make marriage work." Her childhood was spent with a single mom, and Clarence was left to the foster care system when his mom died when he was just an 8 yr. old boy. Clarence remembers walking past a window as a boy, peering into a New Orleans restaurant, longing for the steak he saw on the plate inside. With little stability and no role models for a strong marriage, Antoinette admits it was a "recipe for disaster." 


Clarence was driven to save whatever money they made, and Antoinette was driven to spend for any momentary pleasure she might get to enjoy. Finances, conflicts over parenting their first child, and communication mysteries were complicated by an inability to conceive another child. After the first ten years of marriage, Antoinette knew her husband was "checking out." She explains with certainty that, "My marriage was dead."


Antoinette was 30 yrs old when they gave up on infertility treatments. A month later, she experienced new life as she began a relationship with Jesus Christ. Not long after, she and Clarence separated; their marriage needed a miracle. Antoinette never could've anticipated what Clarence would tell her soon after. In "checking out" of their marriage, he had an affair, and the woman was pregnant.


She wondered if her God had deserted her. It was almost too much for her new faith, but she believed they could work through it "by the grace of God." Her husband still didn't know Christ as his Savior, but she decided that "the most important thing to me was to be in God's will."


And then she realized her own menstrual cycle was a day late. After four years of trying for a baby and the shock of betrayal, her own pregnancy test showed that SHE was pregnant, too. The two women would carry the same man's children within days of each other. Antoinette's tender heart recognized that the other mother was experiencing pain, too, and would be a single parent. She decided to stay in her marriage and demonstrate Christ to the woman who was part of her pain. "If my Heavenly Father hates divorce, I should hate what He hates."  Even if oneness involves trials and tribulations, she was determined to obey. "The door was always open ... I would've been there waiting for him." She also knew that it was "too big a burden to bear without Christ." 


In God's kindness, Antoinette delivered her baby first;  Serena was born at the end of November, a month early and a month before her 1/2 sister Maya. Antoinette called to tell the "other woman" that she would love little Maya as her own.

She knew that the right attitude began with her. She reflects:

• If you sow unforgiveness, you reap unforgiveness.
• If you sow mercy, you reap mercy.
• If you sow forgiveness, you reap forgiveness.
• If you sow kindness, you reap kindness.

And the "other woman?" She told Antoinette, "You are truly a woman of God."  There is no unkindness between them, and Maya spends every summer with her beloved "nearly twin" sister, Mommy Antoinette, her older sister, and her Daddy. They admit that it isn't always easy, but it is sweet.


And the "hurtful husband?" When the baby sisters were just one, their Daddy went to a wedding and heard the marriage vows. It was as if "scales came off of his eyes," and he came to know Jesus as his Savior. To show that he was a totally new creation, Clarence shaved his head, and he'll keep it that way as a reminder of leaving the old man behind. Antoinette says, "He is a man after God's own heart. I see fruit in his life abundantly ... God was the only One who could save our marriage."  Now he asks his loving wife, "What can I do to make our marriage better?"  She just wants him to keep growing in his walk with Christ, alongside her. She says she never wants to see "that man" again!  She has a new marriage! She has a new husband, and she says the new one is an awesome husband! 


Painful? Yes. She says, "My first marriage crashed, died, burned."  But she also knows, as only a triumphant and grateful Survivor can know, "To experience the fullness of all marriage has to offer, you have to have Christ." 


Is your marriage dead? Is the burden too much to bear? Do you feel deserted by God? God doesn't want you to stay the "old wife" married to the "old husband." He wants to make your marriage new, and He can. Hold out for the fullness!


Thank you to Antoinette who so lovingly made the 5 creative gifts I'm giving away in October.  Thank her also for her willingness to share their story, so others will be encouraged to let their old marriages die and experience the fullness of all marriage has to offer with Christ.

To enter today's giveaway, share a comment here or on the CHP Facebook page.

What He did for love

With all of these great examples of what people do for love, what describes what GOD has done for love? Can you describe it in one word?

Read my post  Grace in the Sky Box  over at Scripture Dig and find out. I'm so glad He loves us, and I'm so glad He did something about it! Here's the beginning of the post ...

In my long braid days we were given tickets to the Sky Box for the Ice Capades. I remember wide chairs high above the crowds, enjoying the view. It was a view we couldn’t afforded for ourselves. We sampled sodas with round cubes in wide glasses, served with triangle roast beef sandwiches with enough meat on them to make mom frown ... Read the rest HERE

Why Jesus Came

My family loves homemade pizza .... apparently, so does our dog.

He's not supposed to eat "people food," but the last time I made pizza, he laid in the floor on my kitchen rug the entire time I worked, eyes looking up in longing. I repeatedly told him, "No. Not for you." This is the dog who is so full of love and affection, he's like the old boyfriend who loved you too much ... sometimes you wished he would go away. :) But with the pizza done and served, the family relocated from the kitchen for movie night.

The dog came with us. We said "no" once more to his longing eyes, and he "stayed" until we got wrapped up in the movie. Moments later we heard clanging from the kitchen. Our 4 pairs of eyes met. We all whispered with wrathful realization (we had yet to go back for seconds), "The dog!"

Sure enough, when I reached the kitchen, he was gulping down stolen morsels and lunging from the stove, leaving a vulnerable piece dangling on the edge. Momentarily I was mad, but mostly I was hurt. This "loves you too much" dog who sits at my feet and follows me around didn't obey me, so how could he really love me? Suddenly, I felt used and taken advantage of. Into the kennel he went to "think about it."   ;)  Ok ... really to protect the rest of the pizza. Bad dog!!!

If he loved me, he would obey me and change his ways, but he gives in to his urges instead. Jesus made it clear that when He came, He did "not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32). He was saying this to pharisees who believed they were righteous by their own deeds. It's hard to get religious people to see their need to repent.

If we love Jesus, He wants us to Be Repentant, and that means a genuine sorrow for our behavior, accompanied by a change of behavior.  Our world today is so fast paced and so full, that we can avoid having enough time and space to meditate on God's Word and spend time in prayer to ASK HIM to show us what we need to be repentant of. True repentance produces obedience, and that's where we'll go tomorrow ... back to the pizza pan.

Today ... how about taking some time to read Luke 5:17-31  today, looking at the contrast of the repentant heart and the prideful hearts.  Let's ask God to show us what's in our hearts and what we may need to repent of today.  After all, that's why He came. 

Forgiveness Prepares the Way for Festivity

Faith is the first ingredient to a Christmas season that is authentically Festive. But even the faithFULL run into conflicts and aggravations that can spoil the most divine festivity.

Take the two elderly, saintly souls who both traced their heritage back to the lines of Israel's priests. Zechariah and Elizabeth "were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord," (Luke 1:6). And then the privilege of a lifetime came, as Zechariah was "chosen" to go serve in the temple, while a crowd was in prayer outside.


While inside, you may remember Gabriel visited Zechariah to bring him awesome news that God was going to finally give them a child; he would be a son named John, who would prepare the way for the Messiah.  Let's be honest, that's a LOT to take in!  But Zechariah just plain didn't believe it, and in verse 20 the Angel told him that he would be silent, unable to speak, until the baby was born. 


I love verse 23: "And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home."  I bet he did! :) Imagine what old Elizabeth did when her priestly hubby got home and couldn't say a word. How did they communicate? At first it might've been bearable, but it had to eventually DRIVE HER CRAZY!.  I wonder if she felt annoyed? Bitter? Questioned the faith of a man who didn't believe?


Her response is not described, but we see the evidence of it in verse 24:  "After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived ... "  Obviously, she FORGAVE him, and God blessed them with a child as the two came together in understanding and acceptance. She didn't hold his unbelief between them. She forgave.  

The rest of the story about these two is beautiful, as their young relative Mary comes to them for support, as their child is born, as Zechariah finally speaks in praise, and as their son grows to prepare the way for his relative Jesus. Forgiveness prepared the way for divine festivity to take over and reign. 

Some people try to manufacture "good tidings" with other people at Christmastime. They may use alcohol, crazy costumes, extravagant gifts, a smile, bright outfits, or even church attendance to make it look like "it's all good." But when walls exist between people, only forgiveness prepares the way for a festive heart.


Are you a pregnant elder saint from a priestly family?   Me neither. :) But do you have anything against someone else hanging heavily on your heart? Follow Elizabeth's example and let it go, so you can enjoy the blessing of God's gifts.