Advent

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent.  Traditionally a time to prepare ourselves spiritually for Christmas.  "Prepare the Way of The Lord" is a phrase heard often in reading for Christmas.

On Sunday, I'll be speaking at a church where I'll tell the Christmas story from the perspective of Mary the mother of Jesus.  I'll be talking about how she prepared the way for the Lord.

What strikes me in this story is how much it cost her.  She gave up her reputation, her comfort, her home, her family, just so that the world could see Jesus.  Joseph did the same.

As advent begins, I'm asking:  How can I prepare the way for the world to see Jesus?  Yes, it will cost me.  But, there's a huge return in all this.

I figure that Mary, had she lived in 2011, might have seen the equation this way:
1.  Cost of my reputation:  Current + future relationships broken (some beyond repair)
2.  Cost of leaving for Bethlehem:  One home + animals + the family business + leaving the family behind
3.  Cost of believing that I would give birth to the Son of God:  People believing I'm crazy
4.  The return for bringing Jesus to a needy world?  PRICELESS.

Are you willing to count the cost so that something of infinite value -- bringing Jesus into a needy world -- can happen?  This advent, prepare the way of the Lord...