Feed Your Children Well

White Christmas was released in 1955 when I was seven years old.  My parents took me to see it and I loved it.  Parts of it.  I thought it was a war movie at first and, even though there was singing in those uniforms, it seemed pretty somber.  But then came the Sisters number with those pretty dresses and that wonderful few seconds of dancing out on the docks.  I was hooked.  

 

The end of the movie just enchanted me, so much so that I begged my parents to stay and watch it again.  In 1955 you could buy a movie ticket and watch the same show over and over all day long.  My sweet parents agreed.  My mother was not a fan of musicals, so this was a bit of a sacrifice for her. I promptly went to sleep and slept through the entire movie except for the final scene.  My parents woke me up just to see that again. 

 

Every year since, I have watched that movie, usually while I decorate the tree.  I’ve always suspected it was the basis of my love for snow.  My December wedding was complete with fur muffs for my bridesmaids.  The scene where they throw open those doors to that winter wonderland gets me every time.

 

As I watched it this year, through tears as usual, I waited for them to reveal the snow to the audience in the inn and to me as well.  And my mouth dropped open as they yelled and waved when a horse-drawn sleigh drove through the scene.  Because that sleigh ride has always been number one on my list of “must do” things before I die.  (A nod to my sweet husband who made that happen for me last January in Colorado.)

 

So just read and say, “very sweet” if you wish.  But I’m still convinced, sixty years later, that a trip to see a Christmas movie made a huge impact on a seven-year-old.   

Anticipation

 

It never goes away, regardless of our age.  That Christmas Eve feeling arrives every year without fail.  Some call it Christmas magic. But I see it as a feeling of expectation…something coming.

 

Small children experience it all through the holidays.  It may be the presents or family coming from far away to visit.  On Christmas Eve, it shows up as excitement over Santa Claus and stockings.  Or perhaps they’ve heard the story that all animals can speak at midnight.  Eyes and ears are on alert as they scan the skies and listen more closely to pets.

 

Reality sets in as teens realize that “magic” is not necessarily going to happen.  But the gifts under the tree are real and take on importance…bigger wishes and more expensive.  Maybe a new Christmas outfit calls from the closet in anticipation of Christmas Eve candlelight service or parties.

 

The anticipation changes for moms and dads, often taking on a dark edge as presents are frantically wrapped and baking and cooking gets into full swing.  The mom is often stressed with too much to do, often self-imposed; and the dad anticipates the very real possibility of an emotional meltdown.

 

Grandparents wait eagerly to see the excited faces of grandchildren.  Sometimes the anticipation comes in the form of dread of an empty house with family far away.  The emotions will hit but never when we expect.

 

When I still had kids at home, Christmas Eve was not a fun time to be at our house.  I was that frantic “Martha,” overworked because I expected too much of myself, set a level of perfection to achieve that was really only important to me.  But, amazing, every Christmas around sunset, whether the work was done or not, a peace – yes, with a touch of magic – settled in and the family moved a little closer together.  

 

In Virginia where it was very cold and sometimes snowing, I would pull on a heavy coat and go stand in the yard late, around midnight.  Just stand and pray, look at the stars, and think about the greatest anticipation of all.  Because that sense of anticipation is about an arrival, for sure.  The coming of Emmanuel, God with Us. 

 

I’m sure that eagerness was with Mary and Joseph as they waited and wondered what the Son of God would look like – would he have hair?  Would he look at all like Mary?  The shepherds must have felt excited and nervous as they make the trek to Bethlehem.  The wise men had days of expectation and wonder as they traveled.

 

This Christmas, I have been blessed with a quiet peace and contentment.  I am not with my children and that always tugs at my heart.  But I am convinced that this year God’s plan for me was time to enjoy Steve’s company and to be physically and spiritually renewed.  My prayer for you this Christmas is that, in addition to the cookies, the family and friends, the presents, you will enjoy the presence of Christ and anticipate His coming again.  Go out at midnight and look up at the sky and see if you don’t sense it!

 

“Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:23)

 

 

Time

I have a bad habit of preaching to others with my own ears closed.  My advice may be solicited and sound because it’s based on God’s Word; but I don’t benefit.  Why?  Do I believe it doesn’t apply to me?  I don’t think that’s it.  I think I just don’t listen.  “Do what I say and not what I do.”

 

This week the lesson hit home once again.  How many times I have said, “Everything we have belongs to God.  Our money, our security, our relationships, our very breaths are gifts given by Him and He has the right to use them as He sees fit.”  And I stand by that.  Except…

 

I was driving to town.  (I’m pretty sure God settled us 8 miles from town so I could spend a lot of time in my car driving back and forth.  He does some of His best dealing with me in the car.)  I was recounting to God all the things I had done for Him lately, how much time I had spent and didn’t He understand I need my time right now because it’s Christmas!  

 

Bonk.  Once again, like a thunderbolt.  “Your time?  YOUR time?  How often have you said everything is mine and you bring nothing to the table?”  

 

This past May we began planning for a live drive-through Nativity.  If anything has ever demonstrated that principle of our own inadequacy, we were to about to live it.  We had an idea.  A vague “wouldn’t this be cool?” vision.  But as the weeks, then months pass, I saw God give resources, time, creativity, and cooperation to His people.  The Nativity could only have happened with His blessing.  

 

However, it did require a great deal of time.  In addition I had been sick for almost a week and then on the road to Virginia for Thanksgiving.  “My” time was stretched thin.  So as the Nativity ended and I found myself with a little less than 2 weeks until Christmas, I was doing a bit of complaining.

 

Over that next week I managed to get my house decorated and groceries bought for Christmas baking.  I had done a great of deal of Christmas shopping early and, well, can I just say I love Amazon Prime?  Because I finally figured out that I could finish up quickly without shipping a lot myself.

 

So on Saturday morning, I found myself standing in my living room crying as I tried to explain to my loving and very patient husband that God had answered my prayer, given me what I asked for, and forced me to listen to my own advice.  I found myself with my decorations finished, my house clean, and all presents bought, wrapped, and shipped.  I found myself FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE with an entire week to do nothing but bake my favorite cookies, watch my favorite Christmas movies, and enjoy my sweet husband’s company.  In spite of the fact that I had used so much of God's time preparing for the Nativity, He had given me back more Christmas time than I have ever had.  You know what?  When our God promises, He means it!

 

“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight...Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Proverbs 3:6; 16:3; Matthew 6:33)

Drinking from a Firehose

The illustration works.  You sit in a class overwhelmed by the intensity and sheer volume of information being fired at you, unable to decide whether to just listen to try to get as much as you can or to take notes and digest it later.  The instructor says, “Hang on.  We’re drinking from a firehose today.”  And the data just keeps coming!

South Carolina got a very real picture of a firehose this past week.  I have seen weather phenomena spectacular enough to take pictures of, to write about, to post on Facebook…beautiful sunsets, strange cloud formations, trees bent over by strong wind.  But I have never seen anything like this.  If God is in control, and He is, then He has a reason for this piece of His plan.  I’m sure individuals who have had great loss this week have reason to wonder what it could possibly be.  I simply know that the state as a whole has responded with grace and courage.

This image of the blast of water caused me to think about the power of God.  Could there have been any clearer picture of complete and utter control?  It completely changes the impact of this verse for me:  “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. “ (Mark 13:26)  And, as believers, we have access to that!  I’ll let the Word speak for itself.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) Does that phrase “overflow with hope” seem a little fuller to you now?

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms….” (Ephesians 1:18-20)

And to make sure we remember we bring nothing to the table…”But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9)  We have been knocked off our feet this week.  But God’s glory is best shown when we are at our weakest.

Greatness

I just attended a conference.  To my way of thinking, there are two kinds.  One leaves you on an emotional mountaintop…recommitted to living in the light of God’s grace with the help of the Holy Spirit, not to earn anything but simply because you love Him so.  The other finds you driving down the highway scratching your head and pulling out the lectures mentally to decide if you want to nod or shake your head, eager to pull out your Bible to investigate.  Both are faith-affirming and challenging.  Both have dangers.  

The inspirational conference can leave you broken at the bottom of the mountain when you run up against a world that is unbelieving, that did not attend those sessions with you.  The doctrinal sessions may challenge the very choices you are making.  Forget those you have already made!

So you can travel with me north on 95 fighting a serious questioning of who I am, less than two hours out of Orlando, where we attended the Gospel Coalition Conference.  The theme was Coming Home: the New Heavens and the New Earth and the emotional content was, indeed, glorious.  How could it not have been?  But the Bible content was amazing as well.

The heaviness I was carrying came more from my desire to want to do something BIG for God, living large for His glory.  I listened to amazing speakers who were reaching 6,000 people in the room, many of whom were pastors, as well as over 23,000 over the internet.  The music was moving and I thought, “How wonderful to be able to guide someone to the place where I am now.”

Don’t get me wrong.  I wasn’t thinking about money here, or power or fame (there’s nothing I would desire less).  I just want to do something powerful in God’s name for His glory!

He set me right.  The young mom that gets up and changes the sheets for the child who has been sick at 2:00 AM and does it in grace and love?  That’s profound.  The man who sets the alarm for 6:00 every morning, gets up and goes to work in the heat of the outdoors, and comes home and loves on his wife and children?  No way can we know the effects of that kind of love and commitment.

We are about to start a Bible study on spiritual gifts at church.  How timely this is!  Each of us as believers has some one or more gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit.  We don’t have the same ones…how could He accomplish His purposes that way?

Most of us have the same routine, day in and day out.  It gets boring, tiresome because we are laboring under the curse of sin.  But if we do it simply because we love Jesus and have a desire to please the Father, if we do it because we are looking more at God than ourselves, that is greatness.