Nurse Ratched

Personal reflections on Advent: Love
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
John 1:1-5; 1:14

In the 1975 movie, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, Nurse Ratched was a cold, heartless tyrant. She was the antithesis of what a nurse should be. 

Speaking of nurses…

I mentioned in my post last Saturday that I had major reconstructive foot surgery this fall. My wife has been a gem during my recovery. She got up in the middle of the night to give me my pain meds; she administered my daily blood thinner injection; she propped my foot up in the morning, the afternoon and night.

 

Eventually, I began to lovingly refer to her as… “Nurse Ratched”. She kind of liked the nickname, I think. When we got married 46 years ago, I had no idea who I was marrying. I thought I knew; but I didn’t. Turns out, she is so much more than I could have ever hoped for; which brings me to the Advent theme for this week… love.

 

John was known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. He wrote a lot about love; how much God loves us, how to love Him and how to love others.

 

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… ¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.                        NLT

 

When I think about the love of God... my wife, Nurse Ratched, comes to mind. During these past several weeks, for me, she has been the “word became flesh and blood”.

 

⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.           1 John 4  NLT

 

During this Christmas season, continue to meditate on how God has shown His love to you. Not just as a baby two thousand years ago, but how He has shown His love to you today through those around you. And, how He can show His love to others through you.

 

 

Straight Toes and an Arch

 Personal reflections on Advent: Joy
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:22-35

Have you ever had to wait for something a long, long time?

 

I’ve had flat feet my whole life, and until a few years ago they didn’t cause me any trouble. However, the discomfort began slowly, gradually increasing to the point that I couldn’t even go grocery shopping with Debbie without experiencing severe pain. Even when sitting at my desk for an eight hour day, my feet hurt.

 

As a result, I decided to have reconstructive foot surgery on October 19. The recovery from this has been very slow and frustrating. I used a scooter to get around, which was certainly preferable, but fell several times and every little bump that I rolled over, became a battle. For two months, I’ve rode that scooter with a purple cast on my foot.

 

Finally, I switched from the cast, to a boot. That first night, when I lay in bed looking at my bare feet side by side… I started crying. It was a long anticipated event that surprised me with the rush of unexpected emotion.

 

It reminded me of something that occurred 2000 years ago. Luke describes in chapter 2 an older man by the name of Simeon who had waited all of his life for the Lord’s promised Messiah.

 

We don’t know what Simeon’s expectations were; whether he was looking for a political or military leader, or something else. Regardless, when Mary and Joseph went to the Temple in Jerusalem to dedicate their son Jesus, Simeon held him in his arms and said:

 

“Now, Lord, you have kept your promise,
    and you may let your servant go in peace.
³⁰ With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:
³² A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles
    and bring glory to your people Israel.”           GNT

 

Have you waited a lifetime for some great event? A wedding; the birth of a child; a graduation? Typically, these events are accompanied by a lot of emotion. Seeing my left foot with an arch and straight toes, is a far cry from seeing the Son of God; from celebrating the birth of Jesus.

 

What amazing joy Simeon expressed when he finally saw the Messiah; the son of God; God incarnate. It was the joy of waiting a lifetime for something monumental; something historical; something life changing.

 

May you experience this same joy as you celebrate the birth of Jesus.

 

When Angels Sing

 

When Angels Sing
Personal reflections on Advent: Peace
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:8-15

 Every time that an angel appeared in the Christmas story, the first words from the angel’s mouth was, “Do not be afraid”. It didn’t matter who it was… Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, the shepherds; all responded with fear.

Fear is not one of those feelings that we associate with Christmas. Hope, peace, joy and love; these are the themes of Advent. These are the nice warm feelings that we like to picture when we think about Christmas. Not fear!

 

In the above passage in Luke, the angels made their presence known to the shepherds.

 

¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”               NLT

 

Recently, our church choir sang a song titled, “When Angels Sing”. Here are some of the lyrics.

 

Within each lifetime an angel’s voice is heard;

celestial sounds pierce time and space.

For just a moment, the breathless beauty

of heaven’s song reveals God’s grace.

 

Peace in our hearts, peace when angels sing,

peace, be still and listen heart.

Listen when angels sing.

 

Despite our sorrow, the dawn brings life anew;

and raging storms begin to cease.

For just a moment, the breathless beauty

of heaven’s son brings us peace.

 

Think about that last verse. Listen when angels sing, and despite your sorrow… despite a worldwide pandemic; despite your isolation; let the breathless beauty of Christ bring life anew, cease your raging storms and bring you peace.

 

Listen when angels sing, and fear not, for this is Christmas.

 

Highs and Lows

 Personal reflections on Advent: Hope
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:1-20

 

Life is full of highs and lows!

 

For the past several years, I’ve been making an annual list of my own personal “highs and lows”. Typically, a high might include a vacation or singing in choir or visiting friends or family. Whereas, a low could include losing a job or putting our kitty down.

 

In the year of 2020, the number of lows is significantly more than the highs. On a macro scale, my lows include the COVID pandemic, racial unrest and a contentious presidential race. On a more personal level, my wife had a stroke; I had reconstructive foot surgery; and a decades-long family friend passed away.

 

Indeed, 2020 has been a tough year for all of us. And now we come to the Christmas season. Earlier in the fall, I noticed Christmas trees and outdoor decorations going up; maybe in an effort to change the momentum of the year.

 

But truthfully, can the “HO, HO, HO” of Santa Clause bring you true hope? Can the melodious voice of Bing Crosby singing White Christmas, bring you lasting hope? Can buying and wrapping presents for your children, grandchildren or spouse bring you hope that endures?

 

Mary found true hope that first Christmas. She must have experienced some profound highs and lows in that season of her life. Read about her response to the shepherds.

 

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.        NIV

 

True hope starts with the baby in the manger, continues with the man dying on the cross and culminates with the empty tomb. Maybe in the year of 2020, with all the craziness and chaos, we can find and experience the true hope of Christmas now and throughout the year.