What Does Your Soul Magnify?

I had been going through a dry spiritual period and I was hoping the Christmas season would help me and then it happened. I woke with a hot searing pain in my back. I manged to get partway out of the bed after about an hour and then found myself on the floor unable to move. My husband Steve called to our daughter to come help but they could do nothing.

The plans I had had of the things I would do the week before Christmas became unattainable. My highest goal became getting out of the chair. In fact, my husband told me, "I'll help you but please don't scream in my ear!" So there I sat looking at an undercoated Christmas tree and a very untidy house.

I was being held captive by the exquisite pain in my back. But then I realized that though my body was held captive my soul was free to make the choice of what I magnified. To be honest it was a struggle because when I looked around me all I could see was what I was unable to accomplish. Yet, because I was unable to do anything I was free to meditate on what God did for me at Christmas.

I thought about what Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, because He has looked with favor on the humble condition of His slave." (Luke 1:46-48) I thought about the broken hearts and broken families that are represented in genealogy of Jesus. He chose to be born into poverty. He came to a people who had been invaded by a foreign nation. Yet, Mary's soul magnified the Lord and her spirit rejoiced in God her Savior because God did for her what she could not do for herself.

Lord Jesus, thank You for healing the dryness of my spirit with the pain in my back. Thank You, for entering my brokenness so that I could enter Your fullness. Thank You, that when You came You brought with You peace and goodwill. Please let my soul magnify You even as my spirit rejoices that You are my Savior!