Bearing Christ within

During Advent, our thoughts turn toward Mary and the way she so freely gave her willing assent to host the Christ-child within.

And we marvel at how it must feel when you’re bearing Christ, sensing His presence, aware of the mystery of One who is God somehow compressed into a mortal frame, incomprehensibly made man.

To become attuned to holding holy in one’s body, making room for Him to expand.

Mary pondered many things. I wonder if she knew somehow that her Son would birth Himself in her spiritually too.

We sit with wonder in our hearts in this season, bearing glad tidings inside that we long to see birthed in the lives of others.

A hope for them to want to seek the King of kings and know Christ for themselves.

What can we give to the One who has given us His life? No sacrifice or gift can suffice.

Maybe the only thing we can offer is ourselves, warts and all.

Because all He asks of us is to give ourselves to Him, freely, completely and unreservedly.

[bctt tweet=”We are loved unconditionally, just as we are, and loved into becoming all we can be by God’s grace.”]

Bearing Christ within

Mary became overshadowed by Your

Spirit, a willing host for Holy Ghost

How willing am I to bear Christ within

to bring Him forth at just the right time

to let His Light shine out strong

to reveal how He belongs to all

and I am but a carrier of grace

whose mission is to magnify

His Name in each and every place?

Lord, help me to host You well

to carry You with tender care

to hold onto bright Hope within

to marvel anew at the way You

bore our sin, to seek to be

a lowly servant on the earth

if I might only grant You birth

and let You loose to live in me

with life abundant, rich and free

©JoyLenton2015

[bctt tweet=”Bearing Christ within is to be a repository of love, joy and peace to the world.”]

It means being a Light bearer, Hope revealer,Truth sharer, forgiveness, mercy and grace giver.

As ambassadors and witnesses for Christ, we reflect His glory, bear a weight of wonder, hearts heavy with compassion, especially for the lost and oppressed.

It involves birth pangs and pain as Christ is born anew within our earthly frames.

We are bearing the weight of heavenly forgiveness which stretches hard inside when our natural inclinations are self-protective more than self-giving and emptying.

We sense this pain in the daily dying to self, putting on Christ’s mantle of mercy and grace, clothing ourselves with His compassion.

[bctt tweet=”We are called to live unselfishly, love lavishly, surrender to Holy Spirit within.”]

We are called to live mindful of God’s presence within us.

Because we are children of God, chosen to live humbly, lovingly and thankfully in this world as a living body bearing marks of Christ’s presence.

May God bless you with peace and joy and a deeper awareness of His presence.

I’m taking some time out to be with my family.  Looking forward to catching up with you on January 5th and sharing my ‘word for the year’ for 2016.

Meanwhile, I leave you with a classic hymn reminding us about the wonder of His coming.