Jesse's Stump

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse and from his roots a bud shall blossom.  Isaiah 11:1

One of the things I love most about living in the small community of Westphalia is the endearing sense of family and heritage.  Unless you’re “not from around here” you might not even realize how beautiful and unique the family ties that connect and bind this community are.  The questions, “Who are your parents?” or “Who are your grandparents?” are common and ordinary around here.  The family tree is a thing of beauty and it’s roots run deep in faithfulness, perseverance, loyalty and love. 

America seems to be obsessed with genealogy and it has become a billion-dollar industry.  Over the past few years ancestry sites have become the second most frequently visited sites on the internet.  It also seems that ancestor-hunting is the country’s most popular pastime after gardening.  When NBC aired a program called Who Do You Think You Are? More than 2 million households tuned in.  It’s an expensive hobby however;  folks regularly pay upwards of $1,800 a year to search for names to add to their family tree.  Seems crazy doesn’t it! 

Families are a funny combination of personalities, gifts, talents, strengths and shortcomings.  Families are known for lots of different things.  Some are farmers and keeper of the land.  Others are business owners and decision makers.  Some boast of athletic or intellectual gifts. Still others are known for their quiet, honest, prayerful trustworthiness. We are a combination of leaders, followers, thinkers and doers.  We are different but yet we share one mighty connection.

When I read chapter 11 from the Prophet Isaiah I hear a story of promise and hope . I hear a story of the beauty and strength of Jesse’s family tree; from whose stump came One who brought strength, knowledge, peace, justice and faithfulness.  We hear about One who was so mighty his very presence created the impossible.  Who could imagine a cow and a bear together or  a lion and a lamb and most unthinkable a baby and a cobra?  Isaiah was telling of one to come who would lead, protect, defend and save us all.  This reading is not just about Jesse’s family tree, it’s about ours too because i’t’s a story of Jesus and we are the children God sent his Son Jesus to earth for.  We are the benefactors of his gifts, his genius and his mercy.  We are HIS!

If you have been blessed with a strong sense of family Advent is the perfect time to thank God for that and to take time to give some thought to our true family roots.  Are we a bud that is blossoming into something pleasing to the Father or could our branch on the family tree benefit from some prayerful pruning and tender care?  We don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars or hours searching to discover who the most important part of our Family Tree is.  Advent is a season to prepare for the newborn king and contemplate the gift of being his child.

A Seed To Plant:  Make contact with someone in your family you haven’t spoken to in a while.  Call, text or send a card just to let them know you thought about and prayed for them today.
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Blessings on your day!

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