December 22:  INCARNATION
     For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, 
nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, 
nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, 
will be able to separate us from the love of God 
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39



Reflection by Bam Pirkle

When I read this scripture I am filled with a wonderful feeling of relief, as if a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I don't have to do it alone. 

I can remember only one time when I felt totally alone. It was terrifying. I was a very young adult, beginning a new job in a strange city and state. I was trying to register my car and had not brought enough, or the correct ID and vehicle information. I was so afraid and alone I was reduced to tears. 



 I had grown up with the assurance that I would always have my dad and my mom to help me through the sticky parts of adult life. But they were many hundreds of miles away.  I found myself in a phone booth (really) calling my mom. Of course she was comforting and had ways to find the information I needed. But the thing she offered most was her presence and assurance that she loved me and that I was not alone.  
God in Jesus Christ is present with me, and in me, every moment of every day. I am never alone. I can be assured that no matter what my trouble or joy may be, he is in it with me, to comfort and strengthen me, to enlighten me and to share my happiness. That is a huge relief to me. Thanks be to God!

Think Outside the Manger  is a daily Advent devotional written and produced by members of St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Tifton, GA. Visit www.stannestifton.com to learn more.

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