There are two big things on my mind this morning as I sit down to write. Both of them are so obvious, and yet we miss them on a daily basis. So indulge me . . . just in case you missed these two "A-ha" moments as well.
God calls us every day. He calls and calls and calls. He doesn't get frustrated and fall into despair when we don't answer. He just comes up with another way to draw us close to Him. I'm sure you're thinking, "Well, that's not exactly profound." But here's why my neurons are firing: we get bent out of shape with our children when we reach out to them and they don't respond in the way we want, or they choose to spend time with friends and boyfriends and well . . . anybody other than us. I felt this strongly when my girls were teens. Everybody and everything sucked them away from me, and I allowed myself to be frustrated. We also find ourselves a little empty when our friends are too busy for us or our spouses disappear for one more golf game or one more hunting trip. And yet, we do the very same thing to God. We put things in front of Him, above Him, and in place of Him, and we expect Him not to be disappointed. We let our earthly idols . . . Christmas shopping, watching television, going to ballgames, and hundreds of other passtimes . . . keep us busy -- too busy to put God front and center in our lives. Isn't it amazing? We get it when we are the ones who are disappointed, but we totally forget that God simply wants a personal, loving, fatherly relationship with us. He wants the first fruits of our time, our energies, our love, and our devotion, and when He comes first, so many of the other things seem so small.
Second sticking point this morning: Christmas is about Jesus -- pure and simple. We can spend our days and our pocketbooks making it about something else, but it's about Jesus. I get tired when I hear people complain about their busy schedules in December . . . one more party, another casserole to cook, more gifts to buy . . . but the answer is so simple: do it all as unto the Lord. Remind yourself every day that we are in the season of Advent, and if you check your Latin (I'm a vocabulary geek . . . sorry), ad means "to" and ven means "come." Advent celebrates Jesus' birth because He chose to come to earth for us, and it anticipates His second coming. Advent is also a time when we desperately need "to come" to God. We need to seek Him every morning and throughout the day. We need to examine our schedules and remove the things that are not urgent, refocusing our attention on the One for whom this whole party is happening. We need to celebrate Him in our hearts and minds and with our praises every day because, in the words of a favorite song, "He Came Down." He didn't have to do it. God didn't have to gift us the precious gift of His only son, but He did. What amazing love!
My prayer for myself, my family and friends, and all of you is that this Advent season will be one of joy, love, hope and peace. When you begin to feel yourself slipping into "busy-ness" and starting to complain about the wrapping paper and the fact that you ran out of tape, go to Wal-Mart for more tape and be intentional about spreading Christmas joy while you are there. Be kind to everyone you meet, especially those who are not kind to you. Reach out to others who desperately need a touch of love and kindness. Take a meal to a person whose job has been lost in this recession, or offer to purchase gifts to help a family that is struggling. Love people the way God loves you. I promise you that this Christmas season will be the best if you just keep your eyes on God, allowing Him to nudge you into worship, praise, and action.
As a final note, I had a chance yesterday to share kindness when I really wanted to get frustrated. I had to call the IRS about a letter they sent to me. I had just sat down in Atlanta Bread Company to relax and have a quiet cup of coffee when I opened the dreaded letter and felt I had to call, so call I did. I was on hold a very long time, but the gentleman who helped me was patient and we resolved the issue at hand. Just as we finished, I felt a strong nudge from God to thank this man for the very difficult job he does every day: dealing with people who would rather not talk to him. I can't remember all that I said, but I know that when I finished, we shared holiday greetings and ended our call. Not a big thing, but it's not always the big things that matter at this season. He knew that I am a Christian because it came up on my W-4 about working in the church, and we discussed the nature of my work. God quietly reminded me to be more than generous in my thanks and praise for this man who does a thankless job. Maybe it was the only "thank you" he got yesterday, and I'm glad it came from me. As you journey through Advent and feel a nudge from God Almighty, slow down enough to be kind, letting others know that as Christians, we love them with the love of the Lord.
Blessing to you at this Advent season!
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