Advent Snowglobes (Day 11)

You know this story: The Grinch hates Christmas. Every year it's worse: the singing. The laughter. The joy. So he decides to steal everyone's Christmas- the entire town. He steals gifts, trees, food, anything he can get his green hands on. Then on Christmas morning he leans out from his mountaintop perch, stretches out his ears, excited to hear the screams of the townsfolk. Instead he hears... Singing. Joy. Laughter. Even without all the stuff- Christmas still comes. The truth of the season changes the Grinch from monster to hero, as he joyfully descends the mountain and delivers the gifts and food and decorations. He is forgiven and invited to join in the celebration. This morning I am thinking about transformation. All of the assigned readings for today speak of change brought about by God's grace and power: fear to hope, blindness to sight, hungry to fed, lost to found, death to life. "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.' Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow" (Isaiah 35:3-7). May you too experience transformation this season and join in the celebration!