Lovingly drawn

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent

You press upon me behind and before
and lay your hand upon me.
Psalm 139:4

I dip my brush into the water and add a streak of wet across the paper. There is nothing to see. I continue, saturating my brush with pigment, and as the paint touches the path of damp I have created, it bursts across the paper with vibrant abandon. I absorb the richness with pleasure.

I love this about water colors; I can direct the path of the paint with the brush, and I can allow a barely perceived trail of water to draw the color across the canvas. Often the results are astonishing.

In my Advent journey, sometimes my steps are purposeful and sometimes the path ahead is invisible. Sometimes the way takes unexpected and curious turns. Sometimes I am driven by Spirit, and sometimes she pulls me forward.


The time is short now, thrusting me inescapably toward the manger whether I am ready or not. And when I let go of focusing on all within me which is not prepared, I discover that I am also inevitably being lovingly drawn toward this encounter with Christ. Come, Jesus, come.