We’re preparing ourselves to welcome the birth of our Savior at Christmas.  Like me, you may remember Sunday School pageants that told the story, yes we’ve pictured it many times. Perhaps you remember playing a role, as Mary or a shepherd or an angel.  Maybe your young child played the role of a sheep!  After years of pageants and story-telling, we’ve made some assumptions.   We assume Mary was riding to Bethlehem on a donkey, but the Bible doesn’t really say that she did.  We assume three kings or magi came to visit the newborn, but the Bible never gives us a number or that they rode camels.  We assume Jesus was born in a stable, but the Bible only tells us he was placed in a manger.  We assume that Jesus was quiet, “The Little Lord Jesus No Crying He Makes.”  But Jesus was a fully human newborn and as any parent will tell you, he cried.  They may be harmless little assumptions, but so easy to believe.

Unfortunately we also tend to make assumptions about ourselves.   Have you ever assumed that you were not good enough to please God?  Did you feel that others had a spirituality that you lacked?  Have you assumed that your weaknesses hindered God’s plans for you? 

Then the awesome God of unconditional love has a surprise for you!   You can get through the tough places.  God is watching you each and every day.  You are not alone, God will send messengers to you along your journey of life.  He will send all that you need to accomplish what He asks.   As we walk though Advent once again, we can let go of any guilty assumptions we have about ourselves.  What we can’t do, God can do.  He is with us here, He is with us now.  That’s an assumption that comes with a life-time guarantee!

Judy