”Smoothing Rough Stones in Pursuit of a Stable Relationship” Advent Devotion for December 9, 2021

Smoothing Rough Stones in Pursuit of a Stable Relationship

written by Cheri Hiller, SPRC Chair

Read by Marcia Flaherty

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.
--Luke 2:14-15

Location: Bethlehem

We waited in line for hours, first outside of the Church of the Nativity, then winding through it. We were not in a tour group, so we did not know what we were waiting for. We had faith that it would be significant. When we got close, we lit candles in memory of a recently deceased aunt. (She would love that; she was a faithful Catholic.) When we got even closer, we could see that people were surging forward and disappearing down steps into an opening below. I watched my mom push ahead and disappear into the crowd. Some were guiding others to prevent the seemingly inevitable crushing. And the faithful kept descending and disappearing. Where were we headed? Would I find my mom? Would I find a Nativity scene? A stable?

It was a small corner of a cave, with a floor of stone worn smooth by millions and millions of hands touching the place believed to once hold a manger. My hand and my mom’s hand made it “millions and millions plus two.” Our Bethlehem stable experiences bind us in faith with those millions and millions and millions more, as we accept the stable relationship that God offers.

Gracious, reliable God; my firm foundation, my rock, and provider of the stable relationship. All praise to you on this day and always. Amen