All I Can See is Love

I'm the master of disguise.  At least I'm attempting to be.  Some gifts will be far too easy to guess without a little disguise and that's no fun...

I can hardly wait to see the gifts opened!  Some are things they've told me at least a hundred times in the last month that they would like to have.  There are gifts that I don't think they've even dreamed of, but I know they're going to love!  There are some things on their wish list that won't be under the tree and I hope they won't be too disappointed...

There are gifts I've asked my Heavenly Papa for this Christmas.  Some I won't know about for a few days.  I already know that I won't be getting others.  My heart sighs.  If I wonder why for very long, it could drive me to distraction, but when I look into His eyes I see that He loves me and that's enough for right now.  It really is.  I don't get it, but all I can see is love so I trust.

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--

the armies of heaven--praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to all whom God favors.

Luke 2:13-14

Joyful Expectancy

This morning there was a joyous scramble for the pieces of our advent calendar.  Ours is magnetic and each day until the 25th a piece of the nativity scene will appear on the fridge.  The youngest always has his turn first and he carefully placed the first piece, an outline of the stable.  The other pieces and figures were lovingly spread out and talked about.  The little one can't wait to add her favourite angel, she's counted out the days and she knows she'll be the one to place it.

Anticipation.  It's everywhere.  The waiting and the hoping.  It's active, not passive.  There's an alertness to the waiting.  There's no lethargy or hopelessness.  Everyone knows that it's coming--we're just waiting.

All yearning for that which is promised and coming...

Kids can't wait to open gifts, adults can't wait for days off, families can't wait to gather...and it's all a faint reflection of the great inborn longing for the coming of promised freedom.

We received the down payment on the promise when the Son of God came and lived clothed in human flesh.  We see the promise birthed in our hearts as a hope and a love far greater than what we could conjure on our own.  We wait to see the fullness of peace on earth and in every heart...and so we wait for the advent, the coming...

These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance.

That is why waiting does not diminish us, 

any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. 

We are enlarged in the waiting. 

We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us.

But the longer we wait, the larger we become, 
and the more joyful our expectancy.

Romans 8:23-25 MSG

Flexibility

The word of the day--perhaps of the week--is definitely flexibility.

We have two precious like-family little girls with us for a few days, my mother-in-law is surprising us a with a visit, and this is the week I need to train someone at work.  Each one a blessing, yet 'all at the same time' with the potential to push my I-want-to-manage-everything-perfectly-and-with-a-minimum-of-chaos brain into panic.

"My peace--my shalom, a calm in the midst of the storm--I leave with you...don't let your heart be troubled."

Breathe, bend, flex, release control.

Years ago I exercised at a Curves Fitness Center.  Many elderly women also exercised there and I was surprised at the difference in their mobility and balance.  Some of them were well into their 80s and quite flexible and strong.  Some were in their 60s and not nearly so mobile.  Of course I struck up a conversation with them!  Besides finding people so interesting, I wanted to discover the secret.  I want to be a strong and flexible ninety-year-old!

The ones who were strong and flexible had maintained a practice of regularly stretching and exercising.

Ah, stretching.

I found a of list of benefits to stretching and it includes:  increased energy and flexibility, better range of motion, stress relief, improved posture and coordination, greater circulation of blood to various body parts, and a greater sense of well-being.

When I'm rigid and controlling there's potential for breakage--mine or perhaps someone I love!  When I stretch and bend there's stress relief and a sense of well being.  That thought makes me smile.

My prayer for today is for your grace to fill me, Lord.  I choose to stretch and to be okay with things not going according to my plan.  I invite your shalom to increase my energy, range of motion, and coordination.  Please keep me from becoming twisted up in self-centeredness.  I want greater circulation of your life and love flowing in me and through me to others.  Help me to stretch and flex.  All and only by your power and grace.  Amen.


John 14:27

I Need to See Him

"And so this is Christmas..." Strains of one of my favorite Christmas CD's wafted through the house as we decorated--almost drowned out by the squabbling of my children setting up the nativity scene. Good times!!

For years I didn't have a nativity set because I wanted just the right one. It had to be a bit rustic and kind of authentic looking. About six years ago a friend gave one to me and it's perfect. Perfect because it reminds us of our good friends every year and perfect because the stable is made out of barn wood and all the little characters are country and homey. Everyone wants to be part of setting it up, but this year somehow two of my kids started on it without the rest of the family. I waited to see how they would negotiate the process without my intervention. Things went okay for a while, but then got a little heated. Seems the problem was that one child wanted to arrange everything nicely, like a picture so you could see each figure. I understood her point completely. I like things to be esthetically pleasing. However, her brother was adamant--they came to see Jesus!! They couldn't see Him if they were all standing around looking nice.

Ouch.

I had to think on that for a while.

I like to think I've come a long way in this area. I'm pretty unconcerned about what the general public thinks of me. However, I've recently been reminded of how uncomfortable I am when someone I respect doesn't think much of something I value. I am uncomfortable with disappointing my friends and family. And you know what? It is difficult to see Him when I'm focused looking nice.

A lot of the stresses that come with Christmas have to do with this whole business of "looking nice"... The process of buying gifts that feel more like an obligation than a gift. Making decisions about how we celebrate so as not to disappoint anyone. Our kids may helpfully point out that their friends get more presents or cooler presents. We may feel pressures and expectations from our extended families. The list goes on.

The angels declared to the shepherds that Christ had come to bring peace. Ironically, the squabbling of my children helped to bring that peace back to my heart. There's no peace in trying to look nice to everyone. You can't please all the people all of the time. But there's a tremendous amount of peace when you go "see Jesus".

Attempts have been made to rearrange the nativity scene so that it looks nicer, but it doesn't take long before all those little shepherds and wisemen are crowded around the manager once again and I smile.

Come, let us adore Him.


"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You!" Isaiah26:3

Got Crap?

Shocking title for a post, isn't it? Especially one that is meant to encourage you in your faith! Not really--"it" happens.

There's a story I love to tell (I have no idea who is the original author so I make my apologies to them) which goes like this: There once was a little girl who was really optimistic. She never had a care and was always sure that everything would turn out wonderfully. This really concerned her parents as they felt that, sooner or later, life was likely to deal her a crushing blow of "reality". They became so concerned that they felt the only responsible thing to do would be to help cure her. When the little girl asked for a horse for Christmas and then began telling everyone she knew that she was so excited because she just knew she was getting a horse for Christmas they felt their opportunity had arrived. On Christmas morning the little girl's excitement could hardly be contained. She began opening gifts, anticipating the moment when she would get her horse. Her parents looked on with heavy hearts as she opened the gift that would teach the lesson. The little girl pulled back the wrapping and revealed...a box of horse poop. "Horse poop!!" she shouted joyfully. "There's got to be a horse around here somewhere!!"

"There's gotta be a horse around here somewhere..."

I really believe that as children of God we can live as this little girl. After all, His promise is that His plans for us are good. (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28) Sometimes it's really hard for us to believe there's a good plan when we encounter difficulty/pain/challenges in life. These moments are really about faith. Is this "poop" the end of the story, or is it just evidence that there's got to be a horse around here somewhere?

I had one of those "Oh, crap!" moments today. Things didn't work out the way they should and it should have been really simple. Resolving the problem meant going out at nine in the evening--and I'm almost dysfunctional after 8 p.m. on a good day. As I headed out, I had this stirring in my spirit that God had a plan. I began to pray for a Divine Appointment, specifically asking Him to give me an opportunity to encourage someone tonight. And He did!! In retrospect, it's all so obvious that the silly glitch of the afternoon was just a setup to put me in the right place at the right time tonight.

Looking for the "horse" is key to living with a peace that passes all understanding--something that should characterize a child of God. So, if you're encountering some poop in life, I'd like to encourage you to look for the horse--it's got to be around here somewhere! God has promised and He always keeps His word.

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7