“Prepare ye the way of the Lord”, as sung in Godspell, still sends shivers through my body and, for those old enough, you may remember this song and movie.

The season of Advent is now with us and we wait with anticipation for the coming of our Lord. It is a time to clear out our hearts and minds, so we will have room for the baby Jesus.

Joy to the world! the Lord is come:
Let earth receive her king;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing. LHS627v1

Let us celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus.

Sometimes anticipation is flavoured with sadness, anxiety and lost hopes and dreams. It should be a time of family, fun, fellowship and joy. As I think back on my childhood, and memories of the last few weeks before Christmas, I remember all the chores my mother used to find for us to do. Depending upon the ages of my siblings still at home, we had to polish the silver, clean the windows with newspaper (it didn’t get into the corners very well and extra care was needed) and when ‘finished’ mother would always find another task connected with this. The tracks needed brushing out; don’t forget to pick up all the small bits of newspaper that had separated from the main paper. We hoped that the wind would help disperse the paper, but then it would blow a fine coat of dust and, if not clean and dry, the marks would remain. If end of school finished earlier, then other chores were found that needed to be done. My mother would not allow us to be idle before we could decorate the Christmas tree. Our Christmas tree was only decorated Christmas Eve but was still ‘up’ the 12 days post-Christmas, and I have continued this tradition.

Matthew 1:20b,21; “an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying; Joseph son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

I am filled with awe when I realize how much our Lord and Saviour has done for us and still holds out his hand to us. We can come into his presence knowing we do not deserve this love and forgiveness. He does not ‘nit-pick’ our sins. May we go forth with this promise in our hearts – our deeds can only show Christ the Redeemer to all our family, friends and those we have contact with day by day. Then the music and words of the song from Godspell comes resounding in my mind and heart “day by day”.

Prayer: Oh, dear Lord, these things I pray; to see thee more clearly, to follow thee more nearly, to love thee more dearly. Day by day. Amen.

About the Author

Roslyn Zadow

I was born in Narrogin, the third daughter of a farming family. I was schooled in Wickepin and attended Narrogin church. When I was eight years old, a missionary from new Guinea showed slides and I felt the calling to become a mission nurse in New Guinea. I trained at Royal Perth Hospital, did midwifery at the women’s in Melbourne and studied child health back in Western Australia, then worked in New Guinea for 2 ½ years. Married with four children and seven grandchildren, I worked for 25 years in maternal and child health and for ten years as parish nurse. I Love the Lord. He saves me.