Broken

Broken.

Not a word used much in Christendom anymore.

Broken refers to pottery, our good china and those "other" people who truly need God. You know the ones. They dress funny and they smell bad. Oh, we'd never tell them that to their face, but we think it.

Tis the season to be bright and shiny. To make up for our lack of giving through the year by giving away fruit and nuts and inexpensive toys.
To sing loudly and proclaim Kingdom things with much gusto.

Seems to me it should be the season to be broken before God.

He has let us live another year (almost).

What have I done with this year?

Did I spend for Him or did I live selfishly without thought of anyone else? At this time every year, I am drawn to the passage in Luke where Mary is told of what God's plans are for her and Joseph. These plans did not take into account what Mary and Joseph wanted. In fact God's plans always takes precedent over our own. But it is Mary's response to the Angel's message that always pricks my heart.

Luke 1:38 - Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

With those powerful, wonderful words, Mary stood broken before the angel. Her plans for the future lay shattered on the ground. Her wants and needs were now second to what God had spoken. The only thing Mary could lay claim to was her position, a maidservant of the Lord. She was broken and was now ready for God's hand to rest upon her to be put back together.

How many of us celebrate our relationship with God? Most of us I would think.

We celebrate the blessing of God.
We celebrate the presence of God.

But very few of us celebrate the awesome power of God to break us. For only in the breaking can the restoration be made complete.
After all, we are a work in progress, are we not?
I think maybe yes....we are.

Merry Christmas from the Bynum's