Home for the Holidays 21 – Chanukah 6

Written on December 22, 2014.

Jesse Tree

Day 21 – December 21

DONE

I have had the high honor during this holiday season to midwife two giant little spirits into their hemmed in body suits. A sweet little girl arrived early this morning, as a little guy completes his moments inside. Wrapped up in the wonder of this wait, I have thought much about Mary.

In a moment, stifling still Mary stood. Then came a Presence, moving like a wind, stirring like a breeze. It may have been a day, as this one which hangs in the balance between the month of Kislev and Tevet. Maybe she gazed upon Rosh Chodesh (new moon) as gusty fingers raked through her hair. I envision her standing, possibly as we do now, at the point of winter solstice (last night for us), the darkest night of the year. Rapt by something she couldn’t quite identify, she awaited light.

The wind twirled and spun until it spilled forth the angel inside. The voice caressed and shook her at the same time. Laid before her, an invitation, a seed, a covenant. In an instant, she became a torch, once barren that would birth light, carrying it gingerly through a darkened world. Until. Until the day it would burst from every pore, every fibre and every cell. Until the moment her womb erupted, exploding into a world that desperately needed to see.

Her response was amazing:

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to done to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:38

No why, what will it cost or that wasn’t what I planned. Simply, let it be done. The hebrew word for done is, ‘kalah’ and means, “completed, accomplished or fulfilled.” It also means “spent.” Translated it means, “Let be spent, so you have no cost.” Wow! A reckoning response that changed everything.

Let it be done. The root of ‘done’, means ‘enclosed’. Mary said, “Let me be enclosed in your plan. There is no escape I seek. I will be a house for the Dwelling Place to come.” In that moment she became hemmed into the will of her God, instead of looking for the loopholes of hows whys and whens.

Chanukah

Sundown 6

The light of the world entered our sphere when it pierced a pure vessel, yielded to the preciousness of Heaven. Mary became a carrier of light and our candle tonight is about our invitation to do the same.

Candle six represents the shining of the righteous. The righteous are described throughout scripture as those who do the will of the Father. Phillipians 2:14-16 describes the righteous as ones who shine like stars in the universe.

Rise and shine for the came long ago into one called blameless, for she did not argue or complain but yielded. In fact, another definition of ‘done’ is “to bring pleasure.” Translated it means, “I know what you have asked will bring pleasure to your heart and to mine. Because of this, we shall be as one.”