No One is Too Frayed for God!

Read: Luke 1:5-20

It is at long last beginning to look like Christmas. The tree is up and decorated. Yes, a bit late for some people, but I'll leave it up longer and enjoy it after Christmas.

Whenever I go through the ornaments and place them on the tree, lots of thoughts come to mind. This week, I was thinking about the little Black and White crocheted Santa's that were given to us more than 40 years ago. They are pretty old now, and they are getting frayed, but they make me smile when I think about the joy of receiving them. However, as I thought about those precious old ornaments this year, it wasn't merely happy memories and sentiment that I experienced when thinking about them. It was Zechariah. That needs an explanation, doesn't it? What would Zechariah the man who became the father to John the baptist, possibly have in common with ornaments that are wearing out and can barely hang on the tree? The answer? Both "have seen better days."; however, God can used both frayed people and frayed things. More about how He can be glorified through the story of those ornaments later.

When we first meet Zechariah, he had been chosen for a once in a lifetime honor. He was a Leviticol priest, and when lots were drawn, he was chosen to sprinkle incense on the golden altar which was in the Holy Place. Only the priests were permitted to enter that sacred space, and they weren't to do this work in a flippant way. As he was carrying out this sacred duty, is it any wonder that the old priest was afraid when, all of a sudden, there was an angel right there with him in the Holy Place. My knees would have knocked together for sure. Talk about a surprise. Gabriel, the angel we meet had an unbelievable message for Zechariah, and it started out with the incredible news that Zechariah's prayers had been heard. No doubt Zechariah had been praying for God's people, many of whom were waiting and praying outside the temple. However, the angel wasn't referring to prayers for the people, at least not initially. Instead, he told the priest that his wife Elizabeth would become pregnant and bear a son. Here is where Zechariah and the frayed ornaments meet.

Twice in Luke 1:5-20, Zechariah referred to himself and his wife as old or even very old. In other words, they were like those fragile and frayed Santa ornaments on the Christmas tree. How in the world would they ever be able to bring a baby into the world at their stage of life? It seems clear by Zechariah's reaction to the incredibly joyous news he received that prayers for a baby had ceased, and who could blame him? How many years had they prayed for a child, and how many years had it seemed as if God had said no to their prayers. Understandably, at the time of Gabriel's visit, Zechariah believed that that ship had sailed. It was too late, but it wasn't too late in God's timing. In addition to that, they weren't too frayed to accomplish what God had for them! After all, Gabriel told Mary, later when he told her about her own miraculous pregnancy, that with God, all things are possible. The angel was referring to the fact that Elizabeth, the one who had been called barren, was in her sixth month of pregnancy, Luke 1:36-37. Are there any prayers that we have stopped praying because it appears that we or someone else is too frayed for God to use? Is it time to pray those prayers again? After all, Proverbs 15:8 reminds us that our prayers are a delight to God. Even when we feel frayed.

Back to the story of those Santa ornaments. A story of God's faithfulness. We used to live in Arkansas. It was there that my husband and I became acquainted with an independent cab driver named Joe. He was a bit rough around the edges, but he was reliable and provided safe rides. A gift from God in a not so safe city. Joe's wife was Kim. He had met her while he was serving in Vietnam, and she was a sweet woman.

One Christmas, she crocheted the special Santa ornaments for us. Even though they are frayed, they are a reminder of God's care and faithfulness. His sweet sustaining grace. What little object do you have that has "seen better days?" Could it be used to highlight the faithfulness of God or open a conversation about His love?

Merry Christmas!