19 December, Monday — Spirit Move…

19 December

Jgs:13:2-7,24-25
Lk 1:5-25

…and the spirit of the Lord began to move him.

I reflected yesterday on how I felt that God’s hand was on me, particularly over the past few weeks. Quite frankly, it has been a bit of a tiring year for me with loads of changes at work from a personnel point of view – even at the top – and from a work focus/planning perspective. Next week, I am finally taking a much-deserved break from all the ‘busyness’ here, and will be venturing to Turkey and Croatia; specifically to Medjugorje.

Yup, it is a journey into the unknown (relatively) and from what little research we have done, I think I am in for a rather peaceful and restful holiday – albeit, probably a tad too cold for my comfort. But hey, I am so used to dealing with the unknown at work, these 13 days are likely to be a welcome ‘distraction’. And boy am I so ready for the spirit to move within me and to just take me hither and thither, up whichever mountain/hill is there to climb and to reveal to me His messages at the daily masses (there are 10am and 5pm English masses in Medjugorje near our hotel). Come to think of it, this is the first Christmas in a long time that we will be away from family and home.

Brothers and sisters, we all (bar none) need a reset and a recalibration periodically in order to rejuvenate our waning spiritual lives. For some of us, we give so much to ministry – I have been privileged to have been involved in quite a few choirs this year. It is inevitable that our ‘spiritual batteries’ will run dry. For me, the next three weeks are going to be rather pivotal as I seek to recharge and prepare for a long, equally demanding year ahead. Already, January looks like it will be a doozy.

So as we all prepare for the coming of our Saviour, let us open our hearts to receive Him and to allow the spirit to move within us. Amidst the merrymaking, let us leave room for those who cling on to what little hope they have in their lives, and let us spare a thought for those who have little to nothing in terms of a celebration – the broken families, the ‘rough sleepers’, the abused, the downtrodden, the marginalised, the orphans – for them, Christmas may be the only flicker of goodness and hope in a long, tough year.

Let us light a candle in our hearts for someone we know who needs some hope. Let us allow God’s spirit to move within us and reach out to someone we have hurt or rejected.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Desmond Soon)

Prayer: O come, O come, Emmanuel and light the fire in our hearts for your Love to enflame us.

Thanksgiving: Thank you Jesus, for coming to us as an infant child – vulnerable, innocent, yet carrying the light of hope for all of us. Thank you for being our Saviour.