It’d been a long 400 years.
Rachel was already fed up with all this “waiting for God” - and she’d only been alive for the last 15.
Like really - you’d think after the first century of God-silence, these people would just give up.
Her father was a priest, and of course he was a sold-out believer that God was still coming, that He would speak.
That somehow, after 400 long, long years of silence, God would randomly decide to show up.
Of course, news of Zachariah’s big moment with God had gotten around, and that was what her father was raving about now - how it was coming, for real. Finally, God was back.
In Rachel’s opinion, any desperate old guy could make a bunch of stuff up.
Now, if God really cared, if He was that great, He’d prove it without making His people wait for forever.
Are you real?
She asked the air, the God who wasn’t listening - not listening whether you prayed “the right way” in the temple, or just flat-out spoke it or thought it into the wide open world that He’d apparently created.
She shifted her gaze out towards Bethlehem, and saw a bright star shining in the sky.
And she suddenly something shifted and she felt it, overwhelming and simply, profoundly real -
God, right here. On earth.
She stilled to try and hear if He would speak, but He didn’t.
And that was okay.
For now, a presence was more than enough.
And she wondered if that bright star was the start of something new.
Something where God didn’t live in temples for only Zachariah and her father to meet -
But in the hearts of young, humble girls too, just like her.
If you're somewhere in those 400 years, take heart, and may you find the strength this Christmas to hold out for that bright star. Merry Christmas Eve.
Part of a Christmas series here on the blog: Seven straight days of Christmas Creative Writing - a 7-day journey to the manger through creative words.
ps power back here at home now - so very thankful. still thinking of those who may be left waiting until after Christmas.
No comments:
Post a Comment