Love That Shows Up Before We’re Ready

One week to Christmas, and somehow the list is still growing. Every year I tell myself I will work ahead, slow down, and feel more prepared by now. And every year, Advent reminds me that readiness is a moving target.

That is why the Candle of Love feels especially honest this week.

Mary and Joseph were not ready. Their lives were interrupted before they had answers, stability, or a clear plan. And yet, that is exactly where God’s love showed up. Not after things settled down, but right in the middle of uncertainty and unfinished lives.

That feels familiar. Most of us are not just preparing for Christmas. We are carrying responsibilities, worries, and emotions that do not pause for the season. Advent love does not wait for perfect conditions. It arrives as we are and stays with us.

This Sunday we finally arrive in Bethlehem. Our On the Way journey has taken us through Rome, Jerusalem, and Nazareth, places shaped by power, longing, and ordinary faithfulness. Now we come to Bethlehem not as people who have everything figured out, but as people still on the way. It is there, in a small and quiet place, that God’s love meets us and reminds us that arrival does not require readiness, only openness.

If you are feeling behind this week, take heart. You are not failing Advent. You are living it. God’s love has a way of showing up before we are ready and carrying us the rest of the way.

This Sunday, as we light the Candle of Love, we will remember together that love is not something we achieve. It is something we receive. Join us for worship this Sunday morning at 10 a.m., in person or online, and do not skip it in the midst of the last minute rush. You are already welcome.

With Gratitude,

Rev. Rodney Whitfield
Senior Pastor
Aldersgate UMC