Posts from — November 2011

This Advent Devotion is written in response to Matthew 4:18-22.

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

At once they left their nets and followed him.  He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.  They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.

I mentioned in an earlier post that Advent literally means Coming.  During these weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I am attempting to enter into a state of expectant waiting for the coming of Jesus.  This has not been easy or comfortable.  Both of my children were born in Decembers over a decade ago.  I remember the last few weeks before they came and how heavy, sleepy and slow I was. Waiting was all there was to do and it was not an altogether pleasant experience.  My first birth had a few false starts and rather than miss it, both soon-to-be-Grandmothers hopped planes early and joined in the waiting game with me.  When I picked my mother-in-law up from the airport she took one look at my face and said, “Your baby isn’t coming today.  Your face doesn’t look quite miserable enough.”  This lady, who birthed eight children herself, knew what she was talking about.  Over the next few weeks the waiting and discomfort increased and finally one day my face was strained and swollen, and I was miserable from head to toe. “Now you might be ready,” she said.  Sweet Emma was born the following day.

Although Christmas has a warm, fuzzy, bubbly vibe, Advent doesn’t.  It’s often a dark, lonely, nevva-gonna-end kind of experience.  When I think of the light that Jesus’ birth brought to our world, I realize how dark it was without it.  It was filled with misery and ready for the arrival of a Savior.  In today’s Gospel, His message to me is clear: In this dark and dreary world, light is available to you.  Drop your nets of repetitive doing and trying, and simply Come.

During Advent, I am called to Come toward the Light of the world.