A Recipe for a Savior, Day # 21

A HOLIDAY TRIP

Day #21

Luke 2:4-5 And Joseph went up from Galilee…to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem…to be registered with Mary, his betrothed.

            “Over the hills and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go…” (I know that you are singing that in your head right now.) As a child, there is nothing more exciting than a trip to grandmother’s house. The anticipation builds with each mile. “Are we there yet?” is the regular question that is asked. A holiday trip to grandma’s house is perhaps the most glorious thing for a child. It is like going to one of those magical places. Holiday trips…

            …aren’t always so exciting. I guess this isn’t really a “holiday” trip as we know it. It was more of a trip that had to be made because you are told that you have to do it. It is like having that business trip the day before Thanksgiving, to a city where they are getting snow, with no hope of making it back home in time for Thanksgiving. You have no choice. You have to do it but you don’t like it.

            Joseph takes Mary to the City of David. That is the town his family was from because he was from the house and line of David. Mary was great with child (as we know from the outcome). It wasn’t an easy trip. It took days to get there. No one was waiting for them with eager anticipation. The outcome was going to be that they would have to pay more taxes to Caesar. It was not a good trip. And yet, it was a vital part of A Recipe for a Savior. All the ingredients had been brought together. The Lord had made many promises through the years, all of which became active ingredients in A Recipe for a Savior. This also was part of the recipe, a difficult part of the recipe but a necessary part.

            There are many times we must go through struggles in this life. We don’t like them. They are not pleasant. A sickness, a loss of job, a move to a new city and a whole host of other events take place in our lives. “Not pleasant” is not the way to describe some. They are downright painful events and we don’t want to face them. But we must. Face them we do, without knowing what the outcome will be. All we can do is trust in our Lord, that what He is doing is ultimately for our good. A “holiday trip” takes on a new meaning.

Prayer: Lord, this is a joyous time for many people and yet, for others, it is very painful. We pray for those who are going through those difficult “holiday trips.” Give them strength to travel to the end of their journey in faith. Amen.

Deeper Thought: What “holiday trip” do you/have you struggle(d) through in your life? How can you see the hand of the Lord in this journey? Ask the Lord to give you guidance to support others on their difficult “holiday journeys.”