hmmmm.....

I am guilty of letting the Christmas crazy catch up with me.  I've had a gazillion things going on and I am finally able to sit back and take a deep breath.  Or so it seems. 

I was praying this morning and was prompted to just sit and soak in the Christmas story.  The birth of Jesus and John foretold, and then the story of their births.  And I am simply just in awe of the God I serve. 

I love so many things about all this...and it's all found in Luke, by the way.  I read chapters one and two this morning, if you want to find them for yourself.  I was also using my (brand new, thank you Phyllis and Wiley!!!) little NIV Bible.  I even pulled out my highlighter.  :)  I know.  I'm a nerd. 

Anyway.  A couple things strike me as funny.  One, whenever the Angel Gabriel appears in the Bible, whoever he is appearing to is stunned and terrified.  His first words are always, "Do not be afraid."  I wonder what in the world he must have looked like?!  I think it's interesting.  I would imagine that they were stunned at his brilliance.  When I picture him in my head, I picture a beautiful specimen of a man with a glow all around him.  I mean, come on.  He is the ANGEL OF THE LORD.  He had to have been breathtaking.  Literally.  Lol. 

Anyway, another thing that touched my heart this morning was the part where the Bible tells of Zechariah being visited by the angel.  {Just a little side note here...Zechariah was married to Elizabeth, who was Mary's cousin.  She's the one Mary visited while she was pregnant with Jesus.  When Mary spoke to Elizabeth, the baby within Elizabeth's womb leaped.  That baby was John  the Baptist.}  Zechariah was doubtful of what Gabriel was telling him.  As a result of that doubt, the angel said these words:

"I am Gabriel.  I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.  And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."  (Luke 1:19 and 20)

And Zechariah did not speak again until his son, John, was born.  But here's the part that gets me.  Do you want to know what the first words out his mouth were?!?!  Well, just keep reading and find out for yourself.


"Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God."  Luke 1:64

What prompted his mouth being opened and his tongue being loosed was his telling of the people that his newborn son was going to be called John.  He'd been doubtful of having a son because him and his wife, Elizabeth, were well along in years.  And his family was wondering why on earth he was naming his son John, when there was no John in their family.  By his proclaiming his son's name proudly, all this above verse happened. 

But his first words were praising God.  Hmmmm.  I think there's a lesson to be learned in that.  I've had to keep my mouth closed plenty of times to prevent hateful words from flying out.  Have you?  I know I can't possibly be the only one!  I think this requires some thinking on my part.  I need to give my Heavenly Father praise more.  I need to praise Him more than saying (and thinking) things that are not beneficial to His kingdom. 

This all just struck a chord with me this morning, and I'm thinking it was probably the very reason I was prompted to read this Scripture.  I've been slacking off in this area, and while I have read this part many times, I don't recall these particular words striking me the way they did this morning. 

I'm preaching to myself, here.  However....if this strikes a chord with you as well, pray about it.  God allows us to accomplish things in His strength, not ours.  Life is never going to be perfect and problem-free.  However, we can control things going on by the way we respond to these trials.  By responding in love, we show the world that some things in life are just not important...and some things in life ARE important...like us acting out in love the way the Lord commands.   Because that is His greatest commandment.  And by doing this...we are glorifying our Savior. 

Love to all.