Nothing Impossible

For nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:37

The impossible church week is in full swing. This is the time of year when there is so much to do, so many bulletins to prepare, so many services to arrange and there are shut in to visit. Our Christmas pageant had been moved from Christmas Eve to Advent 4 (December 20th) to ease the burden on parents and children alike. We had a lovely day planned with the pageant in the morning, the evening filled with greening, evensong and a potluck. Last night there was a Vestry Meeting with Christmas Party scheduled and there is still the wondrous festivities on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There were 8 inches of snow overnight between Saturday and Sunday. No one came to the 8 am service and I feared the pageant service would be the same. We had a good crowd, huge for the day after our first big snow of the year. The impossible was possible and everyone had a lovely time and it was a wonderful pageant and great times in the evening. And Monday morning rolled around and I found out that our Administrator was very ill with a virus. And I thought for a time that the impossible had won.

One of my daughters came to my aid and dove in to get the bulletins together. My husband helped get the presents for the angel children (our annual outreach) - we had nearly 70 this year. And another daughter will help me get food delivered to a shut in. Members of the Vestry offered to do their part to help with our angels and other preparation needs. Hands reached out to help in every direction. Even though I panicked and was fearful, it is truly a time where nothing will be impossible with God. When love is alive in the midst of a community -God is there - and nothing is impossible.

Today, I want to trust God to make the coming days glorious despite the challenges we face. God incarnate, Emmanuel, God with us, understands what it is like to be born amidst human impossibility. God knows that sickness, weather and all sorts of other things trip us up and we fall. And God has promised that we would all move beyond our impossible situations, beyond the stuck and stubborn messes that look and feel like failure. God promises to make our offerings holy and the impossible possible. Christ is coming into the world and we have only to make ready anew for his appearing. Emmanuel id drawing near and our tears will turn to laughter before long.