Tidings of great joy
to you
in you
for you are being born into
a wonder
a grace
a being fresh and new
for you
of you
by you
with you
as you
scarce aware of space prepared
are knitting infant clothes
and humming lullabies
and all the while
know nothing
of the miracle
you are become
Ann Glover O’Dell
26 June 2009
“Fear Not! I bring you tidings of great joy!”—tidings too good not to be true—tidings all about you—tidings meant just for you.
“For unto you”—into you—within you—is waiting to be born this day right here in the city where you reside, in the home where you dwell, in this life where you live—your new bring—the holy babe that is the essence of God—the God-in-you that is your soul—birthed forth into your consciousness.
For within you this very day is the God child you always were, waiting to be born unto you
“And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the babe!” What assurance! We shall find our babe—no hesitation, no trepidation, no uncertainty. You shall find the babe—you, each of you, individually, shall find the babe—the babe that is you—the real you. There is no question about the outcome if –if you want to find the babe—if you follow the signs to the manger.
You shall find the babe, wrapped in swaddling cloths, wrapped very carefully in very special swaddling cloths—the protective, nurturing bands made especially for newborns, for warmth and security, swaddling cloths that only you can provide, swaddling cloths that only you will know how to provide, swaddling cloths that will be your top priority to provide for this new being which is the real you.
You shall find your babe lying in a manger. Lying in a manger—a rough unfinished bin—an unswept stable—might we say the unredeemed depths of your being? Lying in a manger—not just any manger—your manger, your rough bin, your unswept stable, your unsanctified depths.
And this will be a sign for you—you will find your babe lying in a manger—a place not far from here, in a place only you can find, in a place God is leading you to find, in a place you shall find.
Where is your manger? Your rough bin? Your unswept stable? Your unredeemed depths? Just listen. Listen and look with the ears and eyes of the heart. Listen for the ache that stirs deep inside you, the longing to feel fulfilled, the yearning to be—to be glad just to be alive—to be free from anger, free from guilt—to be—a new being—fresh and whole and cleansed, to be real, to feel loved unconditionally.
Listen for the ache and go to that spot. Listen for the message it has for you. Heed its instructions and you will be led to the manger—your manger—where you shall find all you ever wanted to be—and more.
And then what happened in the story? We’re told that those who went in search of the manger, after told by winged messengers not to fear, were transformed into laughing, dancing, shouting creatures who praised God for the miracle. That miracle is you!
Ann Glover O’Dell
23 October 2011
“The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” (Isaiah 9:7)
Zeal indicates to me great energy, enthusiasm. The “zeal of the Lord of hosts” says to me that God’s great desire is to bring forth something special—someones special—you and me.
In spiritual terms this suggests the bringing forth of the new being in each being, the full being, combining both human and divine natures.
Scripture doesn’t say the Lord wishes this were so or hastens to ask man to effect the desired outcome. No, Scripture says the Lord will do it—will do it through His zeal. An additional promise from God, suggesting an additional covenant initiated by God. A covenant with the articulated response on man’s part: that God be allowed to carry out His desire. The individual freely chooses to cooperate with the process. God asks us to give permission, just as did Mary in the Nativity story, out of our free will, to let Him use our spiritual womb.
The ‘Savior’ is the part of our personality that transforms us by dying. The ‘Savior’ is the best we know ourselves to be—the part that needs to offer itself to God in order that God might accept it, purify it, and return it to us as part of the best He knows us to be.
23 December 2014
On this website under Meditations I have posted nine dealing with Christmas themes. I hope you will want to take a look at some.
Ann Glover O'Dell 