The Day After

It's the day after Christmas. I was thinking about that yesterday afternoon as I was walking to walk off some of the way too much food I ate. I thought about how it must have been the second day for Mary and Joseph and JESUS. We really aren't told much about the second day. We can learn about what took place on the eight day, we can learn about what happened on about the 40th day. We get small glimpses of days from here and there, but nothing continous from day to day over the first 30 years of HIS life. Just a snapshot here and a snapshot there.
Look at Luke 2:39-40. When they had performed everything according to the Law of the LORD, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of GOD was upon HIM.
For whatever reason the HOLY SPIRIT did not have Luke write about the visit from the wise men from the east or about the journey down to Egypt. What we ARE told here is simply that the Child, JESUS, continued to grow and become strong.
My mother's heart wonders about Mary must have felt with her firstborn. Did she feel like I did with my firstborn? Did she struggle with wondering if she was "doing it" right? Did she run to HIS cradle, that was likely made my his carpenter father, everytime HE made a sound? Again, we aren't told any of these things. They are details that aren't all that important to the theme of the story. What is the theme? Is that the question that just crossed your mind?
HE is the theme. It's all about JESUS and what HE did.
You say, but Vicky, we aren't told what HE did during this time. BUT WE ARE! We are told that HE continued to grow and become strong and that the grace of GOD was upon HIM.
Think about that in relation to your own life today. You see, as I read those words this morning my heart cried, "FATHER, that is my desire, that I would continue to grow in YOU and become strong in YOU."
How about you? Is that your desire?
Look at JESUS. Look at HIS life. Look at what we can see. Always, in every single snapshot we see HIM doing EXACTLY what HIS FATHER asked of HIM. If you continue down in Luke chapter two you will see HIM 12 years later. HIS parents had taken HIM to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. They left, and HE stayed behind. HE said to their question..."Why is it that you were looking for ME? Did you not know that I had to be in MY FATHER'S House."
Snapshot after snapshot you will see JESUS doing the FATHER'S WILL.
Today, on the day after Christmas I find myself wondering...Is that my desire? Is doing the FATHER'S will the driving force in my life? My prayer is that it would be so.

FATHER, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US TO SEE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORD THAT TEACHES US WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE US DO. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO APPROACH YOUR HOLY THRONE AND SHARE OUR HEARTS WITH YOU. FATHER, EMPTY US WHO WE ARE AND TEACH US TO WALK LIKE JESUS DID. O THAT IT WOULD BE SAID OF EACH OF US THAT WE CONTINUE TO GROW STRONG AND IN WISDOM...GODLY WISDOM AND STRENGTH THAT ONLY COMES FROM SITTING AT YOUR FEET. JESUS, WE LOVE YOU...TEACH US TO WALK MOMENT BY MOMENT JUST LIKE YOU. IN YOUR MIGHTY NAME WE PRAY. AMEN