Clothesline 279 "B.C.P."

It’s Christmas Eve. The shopping is done. The decorating and preparations for company are finished. We stand back, look at what we have accomplished, and wonder: Am I prepared enough? Truth is…have we given much thought to what this is really all about? Perhaps not…at least…until tonight.

Tonight, the most amazing event in human history took place: the birth of God in human form. Have you ever thought about it like that? While God’s greatest creation — humankind — sinned and destroyed our perfect union with our Creator God, God wanted us back anyway! And the only way to make reparation for the sin against our Creator, was for He alone to take away our punishment in order that we might live for eternity with Him in heaven. And this amazing, holy story begins with the season of Advent and tonight…Christmas Eve.

It begins with story of Jesus’ conception. We have a young Jewish woman—believed to be between 13 and 16, engaged to be married. The angel Gabrial appears to her and tells her that she is God’s choice to give birth to His Son. We don’t know what Mary thought at that moment, but we know what she said. Even though she did not understand, she chose to say yes, and she trusted the angel’s words. It was a matter of making a holy choice and having sacred trust,

When Joseph learns of Mary’s pregnancy, their engagement is off, according to Jewish law, but before he breaks off the engagement, he too is visited by the Angel Gabrial. The angel tells him that what has happened to Mary is God’s doing, and that the child she is carrying is the Son of God. And Joseph chooses to believe and trusts the angel’s words. And the redemption of humankind begins! How different the story would have been without holy choices and sacred trust!

Life is full of choices, isn’t it. We may not have such monumental choices as Mary and Joseph did, but we will always have to choose between right and wrong, good and evil, something tolerable, and something much better.

If Mary had responded in a totally human fashion, she would have not given birth to the Son of God. If Joseph had responded in a totally human fashion, he would not have taken Mary as his wife, and God’s will would have be thwarted. But they both chose to trust God above their own understanding.

How do you make choices? Try this: B, C, P. First, B. Is this choice biblical? In other words, is this choice something that would stand up to biblical truths? Second, C: circumstances. Do circumstances make this choice possible? In other words, if I choose to do this or that, do the pieces fall into place, or do I have to manipulate the outcome? And third, P: peace. Do I have God’s peace when I make this choice?

So, on this Christmas Eve, remember that glorious story that saved you from eternal death. Remember to make holy choices and hold on to sacred trust. And know that your God will always walk with you every day of your life.