Advent: Promises Kept

Promises, Promises...
Last Christmas one of my children was severely disappointed with a promised gift. The request made, the wait long, the hopes high...the gift? Not quite right.
Advent celebrates promises kept in answer to the desperate need of God's people.
The requests- made
The wait- long
The hopes- high.
The gift?
Perfect.
The Gospels share personal stories of personal experiences with The Gift.
But before we get to Mary,

Elizabeth:

Jesus,

the fruit of Mary’s womb

root of Jesse.

The story is God's, but I am in the story...

Trace the tree of life and see

Fruit to bloom and bloom to leaf

Leaf to limb, and limb to bough

Bough to bole and bole to root…and

Jesus there as well

Jesus fruit

And Jesus root.

The beginning and the end.

I am only Elizabeth

But I played a part in the epoch of eternity...

Like two trees growing side by side

Zechariah and I

Were grafted together in the soil of our faith

Waiting.

I thought:

If I were as big as God

I would press my cheek upon cerulean blue

Roll back the cloudy covers

reach through atmosphere and ages.

And wrap My people in My promise…

Immanuel.

But I was only Elizabeth;

Old, disgraced in barrenness

Waiting.

I was Elizabeth…

“My God is an oath”

…that’s what my parents named me

it IS what God became to me…

The promise keeper, The promise kept

And all the years of shame were swept

Away

By Immanuel.

He was Zechariah.

“The Lord recalled”

…that’s what his parents named him-

it IS what God became to him…

The Lord remembered, He could not forget…

and the months of voiceless wonder met

John

Who was the voice.

He was John.

“The Lord is gracious”

…that’s what we were told to name him-

it IS what God became to him…

The Lord showed favor to His elect

And the hopes of hearts in waiting set

To rest

in Immanuel.

“The Lord IS gracious”!

I carried the messenger

of Immanuel.

I felt him leap

In the presence of

The fetal Messiah

I knew him as son

whom you call:

“John the Baptizer”.

I raised

the martyred messenger

of the risen Christ,

I am only Elizabeth

But I

know

Immanuel.

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us

and accomplished redemption for His people,

...to remember His holy covenant

...to give His people the knowledge of salvation, by the forgiveness of sins,

Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 

To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 1: 68, 72b, 77-79