O Come Let Us Adore Him
It wasn't our best Sunday ever. In fact, it started out pretty crappy.
I don't really know all the reasons why I was in the low state, but there I was. We showed up to church late, tired, and haggard. It took us a little while to get everyone ready for church with our current state of only one bathroom for this family of five. I only had time to throw my hair up in a loose ponytail and throw on some jeans. I'm not one who likes being late anywhere, but today I was content that we made it. There have been other busy Sundays in our family when we chose to stay home instead of going to church and I've always regretted it. So, this morning I wanted to go - no matter how and when we get there and I was deeply longing that it would make a difference.
Fortunately, we found a parking spot right out front. As we rushed in, we could hear the voices inside singing "Go Tell It on the Mountain". I inwardly smiled as I thought about this country church we had just connected with. I remember that song growing up and it brought back good memories. Memories of a home that felt very far away right now. I walked up the stairs to the sanctuary feeling unsettled, but we were then blessed by a friend who warmly greeted us at the door. We sat in the back wooden pew and I tried to shift gears quickly from our rush of the morning to the worship that was beginning. This was a morning where I would be in huge receiving mode. I just wanted to drink in the service. I didn’t want to talk to many. I didn’t feel like myself and so I prayed for a change of heart from the tired and low mood I was experiencing.
Christmas was harder than I anticipated this year. We had made our cross country move from busy and exciting Las Vegas to quiet and small North Dakota. Overall, I had been amazed and proud of our little family in how we have flowed with all the change, but this would be our first Christmas far from any family and Christmas was always a very big deal at our house. Family. Décor. Celebration. But even more, I always found myself enraptured with the Baby who came to show us what Love was. Sitting in that little church, I was worried my grieving and lonely heart would not be able to embrace this Christmas.
So, there I was; doing my best to lead out in our family the joy of the season and found myself not doing a great job. Our friend who leads worship began the congregation in singing, “O Come All Ye Faithful". As I was mentally and emotionally tried to engage in the worship, we came to the chorus, "O come let us adore Him."
“O come”. The words seemed to pause there.
“Come”. Beckoning me.
“Adore Him”. ADORE Him.
“Him”. Jesus.
The words kept replaying in my heart. I heard only those. Come. Adore. Jesus.
I grabbed my kids' hands with one hand and put my other arm over Cosette's shoulder. Time stopped as I stayed with that chorus in my heart.
O come let us adore Him.
I imagined the little baby in the manger. The reason we sing. Why we gather and give this season. Why the world changes its tune from Thanksgiving to December 25th. I am one of the reasons why He came. This morning I was painfully aware of all that I wasn't. I was acutely in tune with my weakness and struggle. Sadness and loss. Sin and brokenness. This little baby we were singing about came for all of it. For all of us. For the places in all of us that feels there must be more. For the grief and regrets. For this crazy, irrational, unjust world that is capable of great evil. He came.
"O come let us adore Him", the song beckons.
I felt my heart breaking and softening again because of that great truth. And I was thankful.
That day, in those moments, in a tiny church in rural North Dakota, revival began in this one ordinary heart. By the sense of the Spirit moving that morning, I am confident that revival didn’t stop with me. As a Church, we reflected the beauty of the Body of Christ. We were changed. To this day, I am forever grateful that I was seized again by the Baby in the manger. I was seized by Love that sent Him. Eternally grateful for grace and do-overs.
I wish I could write that the rest of the day was stress free and perfect, but it wasn't. However, that's not the miracle of that morning. That morning and every morning, God in His love met me in my reality and it changed because of the reality that Love has come.
As we bring our praised filled energy or our tired weary souls regularly to the throne of grace in worship, God meets us, changes us, and revives us with His very self. It is a cornerstone habit we must not neglect. Worship is for His glory and for our revival, both personally and together in unity.
“Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16 NASB
May we daily come and adore Him. May the world daily see we have been in the very presence of God.
Mary Quillin is a city-girl-turned-country-girl in her new life in North Dakota. She has been married to her hubby for more than 20 years and has 3 wonderfully different teenagers who are driving and she asks for your prayers. After many years in full time ministry, Mary is learning how to show up and daily discover the journey of being available for whatever Jesus leads her to. She recently graduated with her Master's in Special Education and is investing in students as a "second half" career. She also spends her days trying to build a welcoming shabby chic farmhouse in the heartland while discovering the joys of vegetable gardens, raising hens, and North Dakota sunsets.