For years Zechariah dutifully ministered before God. His equally pious wife, Elizabeth, was included in the description “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” Despite the fact the Lord had chosen to not open Elizabeth’s womb, they remained faithful in the everyday tasks that were before them.
Joseph had spent years learning his trade as a carpenter. While he was not wealthy by the world’s standard, he was a God-fearing man who put his tool belt on every day, working hard to prepare a modest home for the young lady who would soon become his wife.
Then there was Mary. She was an unassuming teenager who was betrothed to Joseph. There was nothing about her station in life that made her different than any other young adult. In fact, she was boringly normal; nevertheless, it was this young lady that God chose to carry His only begotten Son who would bring redemption to the world.
The Spirit revealed the true meaning of the first advent to only two people. Although there is much speculation about who Simeon was, there is little dispute over the fact that Anna was a common widow who dedicated her life to temple service after the passing of her husband at a relatively young age. It is almost inconceivable that this entire affair which all Israel had looked to for centuries was hidden from the eyes to all but a select few.
Sure, there were two supernatural conceptions … Elizabeth’s and Mary’s. Yes, there were Divine visitations from angels in homes, pasture lands, and even a tiny stable. Still, all the major players were ordinary people who were living their ordinary lives as best as they could when God used them mightily. While we annually celebrate the miraculous events of Christmas, we also need to remember the ordinary and mundane aspects of this story because they represent most of our stories as well.
The world romanticizes and promotes the miraculous moments of life with such superficial social media quotes like, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.” All this does is create discontentment by suggesting quality of life is measured by WOW! moments rather than faithful moments. In the main event of human history that split B.C. from A.D., all the aforementioned characters were simply living their lives in daily obedience to God. This is God’s theme throughout history; He uses the mundane to accomplish His miraculous purposes.
As we read the scriptures this holiday season, may they give us courage, strength, and vision to continue walking in daily obedience in life. This is the story of Christmas. This is our story as homeschoolers.
-300x147.jpg)
