--- title: Advent Series – Love description: Sometimes the gift of love is unexpected, even unwanted, like the birth of Jesus Christ. Even 2000 years later, we still need the gift of a baby wrapped in love. image: https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/hubfs/AdobeStock_306972752-e1576769858379.jpeg --- [![Center for Abundant Aging](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/wp-content/uploads/uch-logo-200x84.png "Center for Abundant Aging")](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center) [Back to United Church Homes](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. - [Educational Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/) - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/) - [Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/clinical-pastoral-education-cpe/) - [Quellhorst Endowment Fund](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/quellhorst-scholars/) - [High School Community Service Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/high-school-community-service-opportunities/) - [Internships-Undergraduate and Graduate](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/internships-undergraduate-and-graduate/) - [Research Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/research-opportunities/) - Engagement with Congregations - [Resources for Worship and Reflection](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/resources-for-worship-and-reflection/) - [Age-Friendly Congregations](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/age-friendly-congregations/) - [Church Resources](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/church-resources/) - [About the Center](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/about-the-center/) - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/about-the-center/) - [Meet Rev. Beth Long-Higgins](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/meet-rev-beth-long-higgins/) - [Advisory Committee](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/advisory-committee/) - [Press Releases](https://www.abundantaging.org/category/press-releases/) - [Contact the Center](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/contact/) # Advent Series – Love By [Rev. Beth Rodenhouse](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/author/rev-beth-rodenhouse)  •  December 19, 2019 ![](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/hubfs/AdobeStock_306972752-e1576769858379.jpeg) #### Barren Little did I know how difficult it would be to have children. After years of trying, my husband and I sought a fertility specialist who helped us finally get pregnant. The sheer joy we felt when we welcomed our son Jake into the world! And again, with help from a fertility specialist and many prayers, we welcomed Samuel and Liam. It never felt like this ability came from me. I couldn’t bear children. Rather, our children were the product of God and prayer. I am, like so many of our mothers of faith, barren.  Like [Sarah,](https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Sarah-Sarai-Sara) [Rebekah,](https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Rebekah-Rebecca) [Rachel,](https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/rachel) even[Hannah,](https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Hannah) Samuel’s mother, and finally [Mary,](https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Mary) all childless until God gave new life. I even named two of my sons after sons born of our barren mothers—Jacob and Samuel. Our family grew while I was in seminary. In my senior year, I began to work on my profile and to research different churches. And then ... I found out I was pregnant! I said, “No, I can’t be pregnant. I’m infertile. It can’t be!” Normally welcome news, pregnancy and a child right when I was just about to begin ministry full-time filled me with anxiety and stress. Luckily, pregnancy lasts a long time. I used all those months learning acceptance. #### Surprising Love And then, my beloved daughter Fiona was born. A precious daughter. She was a gift of love I hadn’t initially wanted. I didn’t even know I needed her. But I did. And I do. She has filled my life with even more love. Sometimes surprising and unlooked for love is the best gift of all. We remember that first Christmas a couple thousand years ago. We didn’t know we needed that little baby in the manger.  Jesus came into our world unexpected and unlooked for.  As John wrote, “The true light was coming into the world, but the world did not recognize him, and his own didn’t receive him.” ([John 1:10 -11](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A10-11&version=NIV)) “The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son.” ([John 1:14](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A14&version=NIV)) I’ve always imagined God’s glory looks like love. The amazing love of our savior who was willing to give his own life in order for us to know God’s amazing love. #### God's Love One of our residents moved into our retirement community rather reluctantly, grieving the loss of her home. She wasn’t religious, although she’d gone to church a bit as a young adult. When we first met,  she said to me, “I’m not sure God would really want me.” Yet, over the next year, she discovered God’s gift of love for her personally. She enthusiastically learned more about God through weekly catechism classes and officially joined the Catholic church when she was 85. She didn’t expect the loving gift of a savior born in a manger. She didn’t expect her own love for God to grow in her heart. But it did. Sometimes the gift of love is unexpected, even unwanted, like the birth of Jesus Christ. Even 2000 years later, we still need the gift of a baby wrapped in love. The truth is, sometimes the greatest gifts are the ones we didn’t see coming. ([Guideposts, December/January 2020, “Our Christmas Puppy.”](https://www.magzter.com/article/Lifestyle/Guideposts/Our-Christmas-Puppy)) My prayer for each one of us this Advent season is to be surprised anew at the gift of God’s love. - - - - [RETURN TO BLOG](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/) ## About the Author ### Rev. Beth Rodenhouse Rev. Beth Rodenhouse served in parish ministry for eight years and chaplaincy for five years. She currently serves as chaplain at Pilgrim Manor, a United Church Homes community in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is part of the ministry of the United Church of Christ. [View all articles by Rev. Beth Rodenhouse](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/author/rev-beth-rodenhouse) [![Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/wp-content/uploads/UCH_RFPCAA_Horiz_4c-1-1.png "Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging")](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/the-center-for-abundant-aging/) #### Educational Opportunities - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/) - [Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/clinical-pastoral-education-cpe/) - [Quellhorst Endowment Fund](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/quellhorst-scholars/) - [High School Community Service Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/high-school-community-service-opportunities/) - [Internship-Undergraduate and Graduate](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/internships-undergraduate-and-graduate/) - [Research Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/research-opportunities/) #### Engagement with Congregations - [Resources for Worship and Reflection](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/resources-for-worship-and-reflection/) - [Age-Friendly Congregations](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/age-friendly-congregations/) - [Church Resources](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/church-resources/) #### About the Center - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/about-the-center/) - [Meet Rev. Beth Long-Higgins](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/meet-rev-beth-long-higgins/) - [Advisory Committee](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/advisory-committee/) - [Press Releases](https://www.abundantaging.org/category/press-releases/) Standards of Conduct [United Church Homes, Inc. (UCH) complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude or treat people different because of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, disability, genetic information or ancestry. Spanish: Chinese: German: Arabic: Pennsylvanian Dutch: Russian: French: Vietnamese: Korean: Italian: Japanese: Dutch: Ukrainian: Romanian: Albanian: Korean: Bengali: Polish: Tagalong.](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/wp-content/themes/uch-theme/assets/pdf/UCH-Discrimination-Policy.pdf) © 2026 United Church Homes, Inc. All Rights Reserved.