Advent Devotional - December 16

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

REFLECTION

There is nothing quite like a West Texas sandstorm. You can see it way off, gathering energy, rising hundreds of feet into the sky, a dark red wall.  Soon, you taste the grit and smell the dust. Conversations stop.  Traffic crawls like ants caught in jelly.  People bend into the wind, mouths shut tight, clutching kids, purses and grocery bags. Our desks each morning would be covered with sand nearly daily in the spring. Out in the fields, livestock huddled, turning broadside from the stinging sand. Tumbleweeds like clumsy dogs pile up on top of each other blocking roads.Sadness can feel like a dust storm. Silt everywhere.  Tumbleweeds piling up. Things taste like dust.  When you think you’re past it, you’re not; the dust keeps coming. 

I remember the first time I saw the Dallas Arboretum, with its indescribable beauty. When I’m feeling low, I try to imagine that Jesus is waiting, just the two of us, to walk through these stunning gardens.  I imagine we are surrounded by outrageous colors, frothy daffodils, errant butterflies and warm sunshine. As we talk, He listens and understands in a way that no one on earth can.  And for just those few minutes, Jesus reminds me how incredibly blessed we are.  We mortals are made of dust, and to dust we will return.  But because of Jesus, we have the ultimate hope which transforms our dusty lives into radiant and eternal life.

 

PRAYER

Never forget: You are loved deeply, now and forever. Amen.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pat Evans has been a member at Preston Hollow since 1997. She has served as an Elder and has been active in the Sanctuary Choir for 20 years.

 

 

today's act of kindness

Make a trip to the grocery store and buy some choice items for your local food bank- think peanut butter, almond butter, and yummy black beans.