Dumbstruck

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Luke 1: 19-25

Have you ever been struck ‘dumb’ by something God has done for you? What would it take for you to be convinced of God’s awesome love and favor for you?
It seems that my automatic reaction is to talk more and ponder less when something awesome happens in my life. To give myself credit for doing a great job, for being in the right place at the right time, for knowing what to do. Then I usually move on to the next thing that I need or that needs to be done. I just check that little awesome thing off my list of ‘wants and needs’ and move on to the next without even stopping to notice the glory in that moment! Sure, I may add it to my list of things I am thankful for that day. I may even record it in my journal. But what if I stopped everything and soaked just it up for a while and NOTICED THE GLORY of the moment that God has given me?
What would it be like if I just stopped speaking and wanting and thinking and gave God the gift of my attention as a form of gratitude for his constant flow of grace? As we continue to walk out of November and a season of Thankfulness, perhaps we can hold the business at bay and practice being present in the moment we find ourselves in. What is God’s greatest gift to you?
Wonderful, Quiet, Holy One; My heart becomes full when I stop to remember all you have done for me. Help me to remain present to the loved ones in my life during this Advent season, as I prepare my heart to allow you to be born in me again. Amen.

Written by Patty Forsberg