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Image from wikipedia.com/Nevada State Hwy 160
The Advent Journey Travels a Well Known Road God's Highway, Paved and Ready
From Isaiah 35: 1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8 A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
I remember having attended the Walk to Emmaus for the first time and hearing the words towards the end of this glorious experience, "Life has keep going, and things may have not changed when you return home," and the speaker went on to share how though we were all spiritually on a mountain top, the rest of the world may have stayed in the lows of the valleys we have come from. I knew exactly what he meant. Life doesn't stand still. We can seek to be still, but more often than not, it's like the retreat speaker says, we go out again, and life has kept moving and we encounter those who don't care how we're feeling spiritually. Advent is like that. Life moves forward with worries, cares, and anxieties, while we the believers know that that first arrival of Christ Jesus brought with it the blessings mentioned by the prophet; the spiritual deserts of gloom and doom suddenly blossomed. The dryness of the wilderness erupted with song. The weak were made strong, and the reality and majesty of God came among us. Yet, though we deserved death, God offered fullness of life. The blind can now see. The deaf can now hear, and the once unable to walk are leaping for joy. The words of gratitude are on the lips of those who no longer spoke. Waters of hope and blessing rushed down into places where it had never rained. And where we once walked following only the remnants of a path, we see a highway, God's highway, "The Holy Way" offered for our travel, and travel with safety and surety. Those once lost can now be found; those who had wandered away are now on their way back. All with this joy that never ends, gladness that cannot be hidden and that scares away the sorrow and sighing that has come our way.
At times one or more of the above items affect us, but should not deter us from the Lord's loving Way. We suffer setbacks and separations, but our hope remains set on the promises of He whose birth comes in a few days. We should not only stand, but walk on the promises of Christ our Lord; ever forward, ever upward. The call to the ancients is still our call, "Get up and go!"
PRAYER: Loving God, we claim the promises shared with us through Christ Jesus and Your Holy Word. Speak to our need and make us truly Yours. May Your loving touch lift us from our despair and doubt. Help us be on our way. This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
