An Advent Devotion for November 30

Scripture Ephesians 1:15-20

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:15-16

For several years I served a church located in a college town. From my earliest days there, we tried to think of ways to show care for the students away from home.   One of  our church members had the idea that  since Final’s Week  was always a stressful time on campus, we could take Christmas cookies to the dorms.  So began, an annual Advent ritual. Dozens and dozens of cookies were baked, frosted, decorated and packed for the dorms. The second year,  we expanded our outreach to the police station, fire stations and water works. Then there was the year  we had so many cookies, we decided to send a box to the Emergency Room staff at the local hospital. We were just in the process of deciding who would head there, when the Adult Literacy Christmas Party ended. “Santa” and his wife, stopped by the kitchen on their way home, and volunteered to take the box to the hospital for us.

Mike was still dressed as Santa when he arrived in the hospital emergency room.  Nurses quickly seized on an unexpected opportunity. A little boy had come in with a broken arm a short time before. He was in pain and on his way to surgery. “Could Santa go and talk to him,” they asked? In the way of grace that comes so often in this season, Santa happened to have one last toy car with him to give away.

I treasure that story, because it reminds me of how God works through ordinary people who would never think of themselves as emissaries of God’s love. No one else could have accomplished so much that night, in taking a box of cookies to the Hospital Emergency Room.

Christinia Rosetti’s Christmas Poem asks the question, What can I give him?

“What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.”

Prayer  God, sometimes we think that we have nothing to give you. Our physical resources are few, we doubt our gifts and abilities. Remind us that all you ask of us, is a willingness to give what we have. To give you our hearts, filled with love for your people. Amen.

Daily Devotions and other Christmas resources can be found at this Link – Devotions for Advent to Epiphany