Advent Devotional: Thursday, December 19, 2024

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Illustrated by Rue Woodard (Age 10)

My favorite thing about Christmas morning is giving and opening presents and spending time with my family. A Christmas tradition for our family is my great-grandmother’s Christmas rolls. It would not feel like Christmas without them. I especially love them because of the perfect balance in flavors and I love eating the pecans off the top. We work really hard on making the rolls, but they are worth it. (Wells Hefner)

Our family’s Christmas rolls are delicious…and take a LOT of patience and time to make. The tradition that started with my grandmother has evolved, and now my mom, sister and I each make the rolls for our own families on Christmas. We have a Zoom on Christmas Eve day to check in and see where each of us is in the process; I am usually the last to get started, which means that my Christmas Eve consists of trying to execute the recipe as quickly as possible to start the dough rises and assembly time. After rushing around, I relish the quiet worship that our SMPC Candlelight Service allows – but then it is back to business. The rolls usually get completed around 10 pm, having been pushed into the margins of Christmas Eve surrounding dinner, getting pajama photos in front of the tree, and making sure carrots, cookies and milk are placed just so.

After studying Martha of Bethany’s story in the gospel of Luke last fall, I made a conscious effort to slow down and focus on what was REALLY important on Christmas Eve. Not rolls, not presents, not twinkling lights. I took the time to really dive into my devotion on Christmas Eve morning, praying the Holy Spirit would open my heart to God’s word, and allow me to truly rest in the gift of our Savior’s birth. I was able to emerge from that time with a more peaceful mindset and could really appreciate the blessings in my life with renewed eyes and energy. And as I enjoyed our Christmas rolls the next morning, I shouldn’t have been surprised that they turned out to be my best batch yet. (Dana Hefner)

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you grateful that you have given us the gift of your word to turn to whenever we need direction. Help us to remember Martha’s faith journey and humbly come before you in prayer when we feel rushed, stressed, confused, tired, and in need of rest. Lord, we thank you for the abundant blessings in our lives, and we lift up in prayer those who need your comfort the most through this Christmas season. May they find rest and peace through your love. Amen

Dana Hefner and Wells Hefner, sixth grade student

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