Editor's note: "An uncommon Advent: the arrival of a Savior in our lives" is a sampling of biblical meditations composed by members of the Concordia University Wisconsin community. It is our prayer that you will take time during the Advent season to read and reflect upon God's Word and await the coming of Jesus with newfound anticipation and zeal through the Holy Spirit.
December 18 – Best laid plans
Isaiah 34:1-2, 8-35:10, Micah 1:1-7:20, and Revelation 6:1-17
It was senior year of high school, and I had life figured out. I was going to attend a large university in the south and pursue a fabulous career in public relations. Yet that was not God’s plan. He had already set things in motion for me to attend CUW, meet my future husband, and follow a path far more satisfying.
One November day I decided to join some high school friends for an overnight visit to CUW. Two weeks later, laying in a hospital bed, God made it clear to me that “small” CUW was where I needed to be. I was battling a variety of serious and unexpected medical issues. It was then four Concordia students walked into my hospital room. They traveled an hour and a half for a twenty-minute visit. God used them to tell me I did not have everything figured out and He would use CUW to place important people in my life.
God cares so much for us, His beloved creation, that he set into motion unique world events that set up the perfect time and place for Jesus to come in human form. Galatians 4:4 declares, “But when the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law…”
Ponder Micah 5:2, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Simple Bethlehem was determined as the birthplace fitting and right for both King David and His descendant “The King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” Jesus Christ. Mary would have her firstborn child in Bethlehem. Why? Because Caesar Augustus would declare a census for the entire world, which would ultimately spur a journey to “little” Bethlehem, the place God would use for the most important event, the birth of His Son.
Just as God’s perfect timing for my visit to “small” Concordia preceded my unexpected medical emergency and the lineage of Joseph’s family meant a trip to “little” Bethlehem, God continues to prepare us for our “nexts,” often in unexpected ways and places. Our ultimate destination is with Him in heaven, where we get to see him face to face. Until then, we trust in His timing and follow His leading
-Beckie Kruse serves as the Director of Residence Life and has been on the staff of Concordia since 2015. View a full schedule of “An uncommon Advent” readings here.
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