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Advent meditation for November 29, 2020
I forgot my mask!!

Halfway through the forty minute ride, I realized that I didn’t have my ticket to enter the dentist’s office, but too many miles had passed and not enough time remained to drive back home and retrieve the required face mask, forgotten on the kitchen counter. A state of high fret marked the remainder of my trip, punctuated by anxious plotting about how I might gain entry to the office. Pull up my shirt to cover nose and mouth? (Not a good idea) Use a plastic bag? (None in the car) Wad up tissues? (Ugh)

Upon arrival I called the office from my car and answered the now familiar questions: “No, no, no, no, no…well, er… yes, I am over 65.” Then I made my confession – no mask. “No worries,” the receptionist answered without a hint of reproach or annoyance at my dimness. “Just come to the side door and we’ll give you a one.
Advent will be different this year, with COVID 19 and the necessary instructions to keep us safe, like limiting gatherings and wearing face coverings. But two grace-filled realities endure. First, that we will forget things – a phone call, a card, a few bills, the grocery list, a mask. Second, that we can find God in even the smallest, most ordinary events of everyday life that are created by our very human forgetfulness and distraction. God reaches out to us in the compassion, kindness and practical help given to us by others. What will God’s presence look like? Well, God came to me through a facemask.

As Advent unfolds, watch for how God will come to you!

O my strength, I will watch for you;
My God in his steadfast love will meet me. Psalm 59:9a. 10a (NRSV)