'dreaming' of Christmas

This came today from my friend Kristen & I had to share~

... I've been trying to read from my "Advent Reflections" book daily this year and I have done such a poor job in doing so, but this morning when I got up I decided to forgo grading papers in order to create a few moments of reflection during this very busy time of the year. As I read today's reflection it was written so beautifully - such real words and with such meaning, that I just had to share it with the women closest to me, especially in terms of faith....

Matthew 1:18-21

The Birth of Jesus Christ
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people form their sins."

We must thank God that Joseph does not act out of the nightmare going on at the surface of his life, but out of the dream that inhabits the core of his being. Dreams reveal another way. Joseph, in his zero hour, when his hopes of marriage, his faith, and his relationship with the girl he loves have crumbled to dust, teaches us how to make the other way a reality in our own lives. He trusts the dream, and he acts upon it. In our world, we will be faced with "nightmares" for sure, but we need to notice the scattered evidence of the deeper dream - the God-with-us, the best that is at the core of our being and is always there, like a silent angel, for those who have eyes to see. Which will we trust? Which will we act upon? The nightmare, or the dream?

Lord, below the world's nightmares lies your indestructible dream. We catch glimpses of it in moments of compassion, heroism, resilience, and all expressions of authentic human loving. Give us grace to trust the dream, especially when it seems to be buried in the ash and debris of our lives. Amen.

Only 11 more days of waiting...