Advent devotion: Shaving
By Kathy Becker
I stood in the doorway just behind my husband, watching as he leaned on the sink and examined himself in the small mirror of the hospital bathroom. Slowly rubbing his hand over his face he began the ritual of shaving. Splashing water on his face then spreading white foam across it. He puffed out his cheek then slowly scraped the razor through the stubble lying beneath. I wondered to myself how many times I had watched him perform this ritual over the years. Surely it was thousands of times, maybe even ten thousand? Eleven days earlier we had been in a terrible accident and I’d been told that I might lose this man I’ve loved for almost thirty five years. But God is good and that day as I watched my husband perform this task for the first time since the accident, it took my breath away. I never knew something so simple could mean so much to me and I knew I could never take it for granted again. 
It has been several months now since that day in the hospital. My husband continues to heal and we take each day one at a time as we learn to live a new normal. As we enter this advent season, a time to anticipate the wonder of the birth of God’s only son, I’m reminded again of my wonder that day over my husband’s simple act of shaving. I think of all the “simple” things we encounter throughout our days; the unfettered laughter of a child, a smile from a stranger as we hold the door for them, a hug from a friend, the voice of a loved one on the other end of the phone. I realize now these things are anything but simple. They are the thread in the fabric of our lives, threads that weave a tapestry of beauty and joy. They are a gift from God and they are the proof of the wonder of His love.
Kathy is in her 17th year of teaching preschoolers in the Rainbow Room at St. Paul. She and her husband Rod live in Davenport. She loves to travel, read, play volleyball, and eat chocolate.
Kristen Raymond
What a beautiful reminder – thank you!