Advent Devotional 8
A few years ago, right before my wedding, I saw that two of my all-time favorite bands were touring together, and I always told myself that if that ever happened, I would go to their concert, NO MATTER WHAT. Well, I quickly looked at the Texas/surrounding area dates and realized that they all fall on or around my wedding day. (I had a fleeting thought to re-schedule my wedding but thought that miiiight not be the best idea). Huge letdown, but I tried not to make a big deal about it. A couple weeks later, my fiancé (now husband) said he had a surprise for me and handed me a piece of paper. I glanced at it and realized that he bought me tickets to the concert. Obviously, I was a little confused because I’d already checked the dates and didn’t see how I could make any of them work. He told me to look at the location- he bought tickets for the month after our wedding in Philly! It was one of the sweetest, most meaningful gifts I’ve ever received- not because they were my favorite bands, but because he considered me, thought about how it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and took the time to figure out how to make it happen. Love in the truest sense.
When I think about the greatest gift God has ever given me, my brain went in so many directions. After much contemplation, I believe that the ultimate gift for me is feeling/being loved. Not just by my kids and my husband (and my dogs), but my parents, my in-laws, my extended family, my friends, and my church community. The gratitude I have for these people is hard to describe, but when I sat down to write this, my thoughts always circled back to love. Then I think- if the way I love and am loved by my family and friends is only a fraction of the love God has for me, how lucky am I? His love for us is the most incomparable, undeservedly given gift we could ever receive, and if we take the time to pause and look, we will see that love pouring through every crack, every experience, every person, every struggle, and every joy in our lives.
In the words of one of my aforementioned favorite bands (Needtobreathe)-
“Your love is like radiant diamonds, bursting inside us, we cannot contain. You love will surely come find us, like blazing wildfires, singing your name. God of Mercy, sweet love of mine, I have surrendered to your design. May this offering stretch across the skies, THESE HALLELUJAHS BE MULTIPLIED.”
Robyn Fujarski
