Week 4 of Advent: Shut up and listen.
- Jessamyn Anderson
- Dec 22, 2015
- 3 min read
Christmas is in three days. THREE DAYS. I am so excited! And one of the reasons I’m so excited is because, for the first time, I feel focused on the #reasonfortheseason: Jesus Christ. Receiving gifts is nice, and spending time with family and friends is lovely, but when I think of the fact that Jesus Christ himself is coming into the world in three days, legitimate tears spring up in my eyes. My emotions may be on overdrive from lack of sleep, but seriously, I am just so excited. For four Sundays now, I’ve watched the Advent wreath candles burn one by one, and that first candle’s flame is getting a little too close to the greenery for my comfort, so that means Christmas is almost upon us.
The Gospel from this Sunday tells the story of Elizabeth and Mary, two pregnant cousins in very different stages of life. Elizabeth’s baby leaps in her womb when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, greets her. Is this not just a joyful and beautiful moment? I can’t help but smile when I picture this in my head. (I’ve included my favorite image of this moment as this week’s photo.) But my favorite part of this week’s Gospel is Elizabeth’s final statement to Mary:
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
I want someone to say these words to me. I want to earn the opportunity for someone to say these words to me. But here are a few obstacles I face before I can earn that opportunity:
I must hear and listen to the words that the Lord speaks to me. (Translation: shut up and listen.)
I must believe wholeheartedly that these words will be fulfilled. (Translation: Stop trying to understand and simply trust the Lord.)
These are not easy obstacles to overcome, but God asks us to overcome them anyway because He knows what He has in store for us, and all we have to know is that God’s plan is greater than anything we could possibly dream up for ourselves. In order to overcome these challenges, we must do a few things:
Take quiet time to truly open our hearts and minds to Christ and what He is trying to tell us. It’s incredibly difficult to listen to anyone when we’re surrounded by noise and distraction. We must take a few minutes each day to simply stop and listen; these are the moments during which we can hear God most clearly. I find that I do this best in Adoration, so I’ve been trying to find more time to spend time with Christ that way.
Try to understand less and learn to trust more. This is so much easier said than done--believe me, I know. Proverbs 3:5 tells us to lean not on our own understanding but place all of our trust in the Lord. And sometimes when I read that, I feel kind of whiney. “God seriously? Do you know how hard that is? Can’t you just tell me the plan? Wahhhh!” You’d probably be lying if you hadn’t had that thought at some point. It’s only natural. But honestly, we must make a conscious effort to rely less on our own understanding because it is incredibly weak and fallible compared to God’s mercy and love.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind (Matthew 22:37). Do you think Mary would have said yes to God if she didn’t fulfill this commandment? I’m going to go with no. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but you can never say too much about Mary as an example for us in faith. She loved God so much that she brought His only son into the world without even questioning the repercussions. She listened to Him with her whole heart and mind. She trusted Him with her entire being. We are asked to do the same. This Christmas, fall in love with Christ and open up your heart, soul, and mind to Him.
I sincerely wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, and I pray that this Advent has been a fruitful one for you. If you feel that it hasn’t been, that is okay; ask God what you can do to move forward and continue on in your faith journey. Advent, yes, is a time of preparation, but we are constantly preparing the way of the Lord in our lives regardless of the liturgical season. Continue on with an open heart to God and may His grace and blessings overflow this holiday season.
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