“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing….” Isaiah 35:1-2a

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure that if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, you can be reasonably sure that it is—that’s right—a duck! And whether I sound like one or not, you can tell what we’re waiting for here at Watsonville First, as soon as you walk in the door.

It’s that special time of preparation, as we gear up for that silent night, holy night of Jesus’ birth. It is the ultimate season of anticipation, because there is so much to look forward to. And that sense of wonder is something we all could use a little more of.

It reminds me of the four-year-old, who was spending an afternoon with her grandmother, delivering Meals-on-Wheels to elderly shut-ins in the area. The little girl was intrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers, and wheelchairs.

At one house, grandmother found the little girl staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As the grandmother braced herself for the inevitable barrage of questions, the four-year-old merely turned to her and whispered, “The tooth fairy will never believe this!”

And that’s the approach we’d like too, especially during this time of Advent, as we get ready for Christmas, and then the New Year 2015. Let us rejoice and give thanks to God for this exciting year of ministry, and the possibilities ahead. Let us be inspired as we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. And let’s put the spiritual back into our lives, and make sure we celebrate what really matters.

How wonderful it is that God calls us, all of us, together for new and continuing ministries with new and continuing people! What a blessing.