Human.

Totally God, totally human. I get it about the theology of this and the downstream importance of it all. At least I grasp some of it....God and human at the same time actually makes my brain hurt. But it's true anyway. And so important.

On this day, celebrating the day before His birth, I'm thinking about the humanity of the God-man. Thinking about what babies do that has to be cleaned up, thinking about temptations to lie, disrespect parents, ugly temptations toward unclean thoughts. Temptations to be lazy, to be mean to his siblings. His humanity embraced all this and more.

I can almost understand His coming to earth to live and die...but taking on all the ugliness of sin's trash in the world...in my heart and soul?

I'm amazed at this part. But I'm finding comfort on this day in the fact that He "gets it" with struggles against temptations. He understands that fight better than I do...probably because He never nearly drowned in it like, uh, some people do.  OK, OK....like me. Like I nearly drown.

His humanity, the love that took on our struggles so we could know,  "He has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet He did not sin." * Every way. Every single ugly way I'm tempted: He was too. When I'm on the thorny jungle trail of temptation, He's right beside me, elbow to elbow, saying, "This way. Come this way. I've been here before. I know the way and I'll help you."

This is Christ our King and Priest who empathizes with our weaknesses, who understands that we are made of dust and prone to sin. This gentle shepherd is the one who provides the escape route...because of His love. His kingly robes are comfortable with the soil of my weaknesses. His priestly role is not ceremonial...He rolls up his sleeves and helps with my work of living.

I'm leaning hard on His love and patience with this work He's doing in me, in His way, in His time, in the safety of His complete plan.

*Hebrews 4:15