Recovery and The Stable – All Steps – Part Three

This is the third part of a set of posts dedicated to looking for 12 Step principles taught through the people, events, and symbols of the story of the birth of Christ. Today we will look at The Stable and The Star.

The Stable – Step 7 Humbly ask Heavenly Father to remove you shortcomings.

There was no room for Joseph and Mary in the Inn and so they found refuge in a stable. Sometimes my heart feels like a stable, not nearly clean enough, pure enough to provide a dwelling place for the Son of God! Am I humble enough to invite Him in anyway, with my heart in disarray, so cluttered and imperfect? I find myself filled with embarrassment at the thought! “Please, just give me a little more time and maybe I can get my heart all spruced up and ready for divine occupancy!”

But try as I may I can’t do it. It’s a job beyond my single-handed mortal ability. Will I invite the Son of God to come in and dirty His perfectly clean hands with the work of my salvation. Will I allow the Lord to empty my heart of all the things that crowd Him out, the things that are “outside of Him,” all the lesser things I have come to depend on, instead of Him? You and I can be like the humble stable as we Let Him In!

The Star – Step 12 Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, share this message with others and practice these principles in all you do.

“… behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem… and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” (Matthew 2)

If there was a star in the heavens with my name on it and it hung over and illuminated the principle object of my love and worship (the thing of greatest importance to me) would it be a Christmas star? Would it shine on the Jesus Christ? Would it illuminate His live and His mission? Would it serve those who are lost and weary? Would it point others toward Him? You and I can be like the star as we Point The Way!

Tomorrow we’ll visit the Shepherds.

By Nannette W.
Posted Sunday, December 21, 2008

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