December 18:  INCARNATION
      All this took place to fulfill what had been 
spoken  by the Lord through the prophet:  
"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,    
and they shall name him Emmanuel, 
which means,  'God is with us'."
Matthew 1:22-23



Reflection by Melanie Cross
When I made the decision to run for judge, it was a difficult one. I was concerned about whether I had what it would take to make the decisions that would come before me - from the simple to the most difficult, such as sentencing a person to death. However, I knew that God would be with me. I was raised in the church. I knew there was right from wrong. I knew there was good and evil in this world. However, I knew that God was with me every day and in every step that I took. I could do this. 

Now, putting that simple and true belief into practice was not as easy as it seemed - in fact it has been down-right difficult. What I see most every day convinces me that evil is most definitely present in this world. It is mankind at its worst. I wonder about the people I see - do they not know that God is with them? And if they do, and they believe in his Word, then how could they act the way that they do? I soon came to realize there are many different kinds of people. They range from those that have never been taught of God's love, to those that know about it and believe it, but just seem to forget about it during their times of trouble. 

 As many of you know, I lost my dear sweet daddy earlier this year. I learned so many different things from him, but one thing was especially important to me. As most of us, he had his share of problems during his life, but he always seemed to be okay about it. When I asked him how he dealt with them, he simply said, "I have cried about it, and I have prayed about it. Now I have turned it over to God. What comes will come, but I know that God is with me through it all and it will be okay." 

I try to practice that each and every day. Do I struggle with the decisions I make at work? Yes. I think about them and ponder over them for days. Do I struggle like we all do with the daily struggles in life? Yes. However, I know that God is with me. I pray about it, and I turn it over to God. I use what I have learned from his Word to move forward every day, knowing his presence is constant.


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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