Cherish the AdventEsimerkki

The following devotion is written from the perspective of the Inn Keeper in Bethlehem, who had no room available at his inn when the God of the universe was born in his town. True confession. I can claim the biggest facepalm in biblical history. You know what I mean, right, by a facepalm? It's when you do something so silly you look back on it and want to cover your face in shame. Maybe you can compete with me for embarrassing moments. What’s yours? Maybe you gave a presentation in front of an auditorium only to realize at the end of the speech that your zipper was down. Or maybe you’ve had an entire conversation only to discover when you see your reflection later that you had something stuck between your teeth the whole time. Maybe you got out of the bathroom and checked your phone, only to realize that the Instagram Live you thought you’d ended ten minutes ago is still recording. “How can my embarrassing moment be worse than that?” you may ask. Because I'm the guy that didn't have any room available when the God of the universe was born on a cold night in Bethlehem, okay? I’m the guy that didn't listen to Joseph when he desperately pleaded for a place for his pregnant wife to comfortably rest before she gave birth to the most consequential person in world history. Yes, I’m the no-room-at-the-inn Innkeeper. It took some time for it all to make sense… for all the pieces to come together. Years later, people started popping in to see our little hotel because word had spread that it was where the Messiah was born. That's when it started to get real, when I wanted to die of shame or build a time machine and travel back to that fateful night. The Messiah and his family came knocking on my door, and I failed to show them hospitality?! Not only that, I sent them to the barn behind my inn! Praise God that his will is still accomplished even when we’re slow to perceive it. Maybe, like me, you aren't known for your big acts of faith. Like me, you might be slow to tune into what God is up to in your life, your community, or the world around you. Take time today to light a candle for Advent, the candle of Peace, because God has everything under control. May the peace of God rule in your homes no matter how attuned you feel to God’s will. And may the peace of Christ help you recognize the miracle of redemption at work in your life as it unfolds. Amen.