There was the true Light which

coming into the world

enlightens every man.

.

He was in the world

and the world was made through Him

and the world did not know Him.

.

He came to His own

and those who were His own

did not receive Him.

We have the luxury of hindsight, of thousands of years of history and sacred text at our fingertips. Hindsight is not always humble. It often whispers, “I would have seen it; I would have known Him” when reading John 1:10-11 and other verses like it.

Let’s suspend that whisper for a moment?

Is there any place in your mind, will, or emotions that doesn’t know The True Light and His love for you? In so many – so many! – ways I realize how much I don’t yet know Him. I haven’t yet received Him fully. So many places in this world, in my day, in my own heart that I look to find Jesus and can’t. I look to see what He’s doing and it is NOT known to me. I try to stay positive and fall well short.

I have so very far to go in knowing the depths of the love of God, in receiving Him fully into my world. Yet He calls me His own! I read the next thought of God and wish it answered all my questions here but it only raises more.

But as many as received Him

to them He gave the right to become

children of God

.

Even to those who believe in His name

who were born

            not of blood

                    nor of the will of the flesh

                              nor of the will of man

but of God.

What does this even mean? To be born of God and given family rights into the First Family is a lot to process. They were hanging out over the waters In The Beginning, and now I get to hang out with them and belong to them? And none of this is because of any human effort?

This second week of December is a good time to ponder our knowing of the Lord who is come. As you sing O Come O Come Emmanuel and Joy to the World, as you work and clean and talk and drive, open your heart to receive Him. Ask Him for eyes to recognize His presence in ways you may not currently know Him. Past the thoughts racing through your mind is a True Light which is meant to enlighten you, to reveal more opportunities to know how much you belong to Him and He belongs to you, to change the narrative from worry and lack to peace and abundance.

Begin with {The First Week of Advent: Light} if you’d like…