Gabriel, where is he now?

At the end of each year lots of retrospectives show up in the news and on the internet. I just looked at a "where are they now" presentation of the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story" on www.foxnews.com. Ralphie got his BB gun and now, as 38-year-old Peter Billingsley, produces films. Others did well too, some not so well. I wonder, though, about those involved in the real Christmas story. For example, how about the angel Gabriel? What's he up to now? In Luke 1:11-38 he is busy. He meets with Zechariah to tell him (and then scold him for a lack of faith) about the birth of John the Baptist, his son. Then he meets with Mary to tell her about Jesus, her famous son that she'll have even though she's a virgin. Gabriel is powerful, more than we can imagine, but his actual task is that of a messenger. In fact, that's what angel means. In Revelation 2-3, the "angels" of seven churches are addressed. Since angel only means messenger, it can be translated as pastor! I know that most people don't see their pastors as angelic, but we are, like the angels, despite all the other trappings of our vocations, simply messengers. Gabriel had messages that he was ordered to give. He gave them. Now what? Perhaps you can see why I'm interested. We read about what Gabriel did in Luke 1, but we tend not to ask much more about him. What's he up to now? Well, he's consumed with the glory and wonder of his Creator God. There's a lesson for me in this, and maybe for you too. I am not, in the end, what I do. I am ordered, like Gabriel, to bring fantastic, life-changing messages, that are not my own, to people. Where Gabriel performed perfectly, I do not. What Gabriel encountered - unbelief in some (Zechariah) and belief in others (Mary) - I also encounter. What Gabriel is doing now must also be my major focus in life and in the next life. Jesus was born and died so that I could tell His story when called upon to, but also so that I could have the glory of God be the point and content of my life. I exist to be consumed by the wonder of my Savior. There are many parts about Christmas that, surprisingly, help with this. "Angels we have heard on high ..."

Where are you now? Is your life about God and His Wonders, or is it about other things? Do you have a task that you could mistakenly assume is your identity?