Good morning, Ladies, and a blessed ninth day of Advent to you. I've been thinking a lot about our journey to Bethlehem. Last year we followed Mary and her friend and cousin Elizabeth, and as much as I would love to accompany those two again, I'm thinking it would be good for us to stick to our theme of stress, especially at this time of year.
I mean, ya think? Some of you have exams coming up, others are facing performances of various kinds -- and then there are the family and health issues that always seem worse at the time when everybody is "supposed" to feel all full of cheer and good will. I'm actually convinced that things we can pretty much deal with the rest of the year are suddenly insurmountable when the TV commercials show perfect Christmases taking place in perfectly decorated homes across the world -- especially if that isn't exactly what happens at your house. I personally try to create a homey, cozy setting for our celebration, and yet there's always somebody in the group who's doing his or her imitation of the Grinch, if not outright Ebeneezer Scrooge. I'm all trying to be Tiny Tim and yet feeling resentful because somebody needs to get over his or herself for just one day! So not only is the ordinary stress magnified, but more stuff gets piled on, and we all end up wanting to do what Geneveve is doing in the above picture, which is pretty much gnash our teeth on anything that's available.
I hope the preparations in your life are filled with cookie baking and crowdless shopping and exquisitve gift wrapping and carol singing around the piano. A lot of that happens at my house, for sure. (Minus the piano!) Even if that's the case, stress is bound to creep in. So I've been wondering how we can approach that without having to confront the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future -- not to mention the entire town of Whoville . . And then it came to me.
My husband bought me a pre-Christmas present of a sound system for my newly remodeled office (had to be done because we found mold in the old version of my work space). On the first day of Advent, (November 27) he installed surround sound (complete with a sub woofer, which I have always wanted; really, I like lot of boom-boom-boom), and I couldn't wait to play Handel's Messiah . I spend every Advent with that incredible piece of music, which I think is one of the finest tributes to the birth of our Lord Christ ever written. Maybe because it is all around me on that new stereo system, or because my office is now a sacred space, or because this is just what God wants us to do right now -- but it struck me that Handel has given us the perfect reminder of the only solution there really is to stress, not just at Christmas time but all the time. So pardon the pun (argh-argh-argh) but I think we can get a Handel on stress by examining the exquisitely sung messages from Scripture that tell us -- there is no need to be anxious, because unto us a Son is given.
My plan is to offer a highlight from the Messiah every couple of days between now and Christmas Eve so that we can ponder what the prophets have said that applies not just to the stressed-out exiles of Jerusalem, but to you, the pulled-in-twelve-directions, in-real-life teens of today. Let's go at it this way:
* I'll give you the lyrics to a particular piece from Handel's great work
* I'll suggest how those words might be helpful to you stress-wise
* I'll pose a question to you (in red as always) so you can post your response
* AND the first person to post the Biblical "address" of the lyrics each time (Handel pulled them all from Scripture) will receive a copy of one of the RL books, either for herself or for a friend (in case you own all four already) --and I PROMISE TO SEND THEM OUT IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS GIVING!
Shall we go for it? (who was it on our retreat weekend who said she was going to start using the word "shall?")
Handel starts with this beautiful piece:
"'Comfort ye my people,' saith your God.
'Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
And cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished
And her inquity is pardoned.'
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness:
'Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'"
Okay, yeah, those words were spoken to a prophet by God (that's a hint to the Bible location) so he could pass them on to the people of Israel who were in exile in Babylon. They were there not ONLY because the Babylonian king was a jerk, but because they'd ignored God's warnings and gone right on doing whatever they pleased. Why wouldn't God take care of them regardless? They were, after all, God's chosen people.
But Scriptural prophecy is deeper than history. It's meant for both the people it's orginally given to and the people of the future, even the far future. For example, "the voice of him who crieth in the wilderness" was that of John the Baptist, who didn't appear until centuries after these words were first spoken. It's also meant for the people of the far, far future, which would be you and me.
Here's how. We, too, are in a form of exile. How many times have you expressed your loneliness here on the blog? Written of those times when you feel like you just don't fit? Spoken of the distance you sense between you and God? Some of that is the world we live in, people who are afraid to let you be who you are because that means they'll have to discover their authenticity, too, and that can be scary. At the same time, some of it we do bring on ourselves, and we do it in ways that seem righteous at the time. Let's see the hands of all of you who take on too much -- set expectations of perfection for yourself -- refuse to give yourself a break.
Yeah.
We talk about refusing to beat ourselves up, and we may even stop for a while. But before the next term paper or recital or soccer game comes up, we're back at it again, because surely getting it all right is the only way to dump the anxiety. Not only does that not work, but we end up feeling even worse about ourselves because we can't possibly live up to the standards both the world and our own selves have established. We either wind up giving up, or pushing ourselves even harder. Neither approach brings us any closer to God, and that's where we've all agreed we want to be.
In this time of a new beginning -- which is what the birth of Christ is all about -- let's recognize that we need, first and foremost -- COMFORT. And few people are going to go, "Oh, poor baby, you're so stressed out. How can I help?" Most adults are going to look at you and say, "You think you've got it rough now? Wait until you have some REAL responsibility." Like this stuff that's expected of you now is all fake!
Yeah, time to get quiet with God and experience the comfort that's being offered to you as one of God's people. God isn't saying, "What the Sam Hill is wrong with you, girl?" God is saying, "Stop fighting yourself. I forgive you." God recognizes that you're very often in the wildnerness of adolescence. But even in that desert of pressure you frequently find yourself in, a voice cries out for you to prepare yourself. Get those unrealistic expectations and self-flagelliation out of the way so the highway for you and God to meet will be wide and straight.
If you want to post today, tell us what you're going to do to receive God's comfort. Here are a few suggestions, although the possibilities are, of course, endless:
* Admit to God that you do need comfort. I personally have trouble with this sometimes, because I tend to compare my stuff with other people's and realize how much much less I'm suffering than they are, so then I feel even worse than I did to begin with!
*Cry. Cry until you have no more tears left. And as you sob, know that you are in God's arms.
* Make a cup of hot chocolate and curl up with it and a blanket (and maybe a fire) and just be. As the negative thoughts come in (and they will), let them simply pass through while you return to this perfect quiet time with the God who wants to comfort you.
Your warfare has been accomplished, my loves. Your iniquity is pardoned. God is speaking comfortably to you. Help is on the way. Get ready.
Blessings,
Nancy Rue DON'T FORGET TO POST THE "ADDRESS" FOR THESE LYRICS. FIRST ONE WINS PRIZE!.
