There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 11:1-2 (ESV)
Last year, the gold, waxed amaryllis bulbs arrived on our porch during November. My mother-in-law sent the special gift, knowing our plans to host family and friends for Christmas. We put the bulbs on the fireplace mantle and watched the stalks slowly sprout, as we prepared for a gathering of family from North Carolina, Georgia, Washington, D.C., and Scotland. While we decorated, planned meals, and wrapped gifts, we glanced at the bulbs that needed no water or sunlight, but provided anticipation and hope.
A few days before Christmas, my daughter arrived home with a friend from college. They excitedly shared stories of a busy semester followed by a trip to Austin, Texas; however, my daughter was exhausted and congested. We thought the travel caused her cold symptoms and could be remedied with Advil, along with a good night’s sleep. But the next morning, we decided that she needed to see a doctor. Yes, she tested positive for COVID.
We notified our family of the unfortunate change in plans and shifted into care mode, serving our daughter soup upstairs. But despite our efforts, the germs spread throughout the house, and my husband got sick, as well as my daughter’s friend.
Grandparents decided to deliver gifts to our front porch, and dinners were shuffled. Our plans for a family gathering to share the celebration of Christ’s birth ended with sickness and isolation. COVID changed all of our Christmas plans. Still, we tried to inject some normalcy of family traditions, making some favorite Christmas foods and watching holiday movies, but we battled exhaustion and disappointment.
And yet, the green stalks of the amaryllis bulbs grew taller.
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. On Christmas Eve, we were blessed with the sight of beautiful red amaryllis flowers. Seeing these blooms ignited joy in us as we worshiped online with Seacoast Church. Even in our sickness and isolation, we felt the joy of Jesus. We celebrated with our Seacoast family, singing words of praise. We prayed, took Communion, and lit candles. God found a way into our home, with bulbs of hope (and technology). Just as Isaiah prophesied, Jesus was born, bringing light and hope to us all, in every season of life.
