Advent
November 29, 2015

Scripture Reading: Luke 21:25-36

‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.’ –Luke 21:34-36

Well actually life did catch me by surprise this weekend. A very strange ice storm struck central Oklahoma. While the temperature hovered around the freezing mark, the roads remain wet but passable with a few slick spots on bridges and overpasses. The trees were not so lucky. There was an accumulation of heavy ice on all the trees and worse, on all the electric lines. I don’t think there is a tree in the city that didn’t lose at least some twigs. Most trees looked like they were bowing deep to the ground and many, many of then broke at the weight of the ice. It was a sad and eerie sight to drive around trees glistening like diamonds lying in the streets.

My electricity went off on Saturday morning at about 3:30 am. I moved to a motel room about 4:00 pm that same afternoon having no electricity and admittedly being a little stir crazy unable to accomplish much that I really needed to do. Telephones were not working and Wi-Fi was overloaded. I do not like to deal with such unforeseen interruptions.

The funny thing is my one-night motel stay was a much needed respite. Even though I am technically retired, I have had very little time to myself since a year ago in September. Been so busy that I have not completed a single book my monthly book club read since maybe June. In packing for my overnight stay I grabbed the book we read for November and rather basked in settling back and reading it for there really was nothing else I could do. Could it be in this ice storm I found the strength to escape the busyness of life and spend some down time with God? Could it be that withdrawing through this Advent season to spend some down time with God is what we all need?

Prayer:
Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.* Amen.

*First line, verse one of Come thou Long expected Jesus words by Charles Wesley. See at http://www.hymnary.org/text/come_thou_long_expected_jesus_born_to

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized  
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.