Our 2009 CHRISTMAS LETTER (the first of a series)

Well, it is the morning of the eve of Christmas...I wish I could freeze frame this very moment of quiet stillness. Our kids are still sleeping (well, minus one--my early bird Jeremiah has come down to join me). This is always my very favorite time of the day. At this moment, all of the lights are off except the Christmas lights. How beautiful Christmas trees are when all is dark except for the glow of its lights. The darkness makes them illuminate all the more...

It kind of reminds me of Jesus. He was brought forth from his mother's womb to be a light for us in a dark world. He came so we could turn from the darkness of sin and death and all the yuck of this world and have an abundant life illuminating with His light. He doesn't always deliver us from the hardships and difficulties we'll all experience at some point in our life. But He always promises to deliver us through them in His way and in His time. The only part that we have to play in all of this is that we must choose to trust our Heavenly Father and lean on Him.


This is where Jesus comes in. We must choose to focus on Jesus who came into this world as a sin offering. He came into this world as a bright light that never sinned. He willingly died on the cross for my sin, your sin, and all of humanity's sin so that we could have an eternal relationship with God, the Father.


How thankful I am that God brought His son into this world! How thankful I am that we can have a relationship with God the Father of All through His son Jesus! How thankful I am for this little five year old sitting beside me who just interrupted the mood and the moment by asking, with no warning, 'can people be eaten by rats?' Excuse me while I explain to him the difference between the size of humans and rodents....


...Focus...Focus...I really am trying to focus. But my life is one big interruption. You moms out there know what I am talking about! Now all of the rest of our kids have gotten up, Eric just walked in and I have been asked a zillion more things like, 'what's for breakfast?'


I have to be honest, though, and say that Jeremiah and his siblings aren't the only culprits causing my lack of focus. I have had a hard time these last couple of weeks making Jesus the absolute focus amidst the last minute shopping, wrapping, etc., etc. Oh, we've had some moments here and there, but it just hasn't felt like enough. And I have been so frustrated because I feel like this happens every Christmas! UGGHHH!


So, with all of this whirling around in my head this morning, I opened up my very favorite devotional and read this:


'We would be better Christians if we spent more time alone, and we would actually accomplish more if we attempted less and spent more time in isolation and quiet waiting upon God. The world has become too much a part of us, and we are afflicted with the idea that we are not accomplishing anything unless we are always busily running back and forth. We no longer believe in the importance of a calm retreat where we sit silently in the shade. As the people of God, we have become entirely too practical. We believe in having "all our irons in the fire: and that ll the time we spend away from the anvil or fire is wasted time. Yet our time is never more profitably spent than when we set aside time for quiet meditation, talking with God and looking up to heaven.'


'we would actually accomplish more if we attempted less and spent more time in isolation and quiet waiting upon God' ....Boy, I needed to hear that. We all need to hear that. God wants all of us to have a Sabbath this Christmas. He wants us to stay still and quiet. He wants our focus.


God gave me a gentle nudge this morning to stop writing. For now. Instead of cranking out a long Christmas letter, I think He wants me to do a series of small bite size portions over the next week between Christmas and New Year's (so, I guess it's going to be a Christmas series :) ). I am going to take the advice He gave me to attempt less and spend more time focused on Him and our family....and I will wait on Him to equip me to write His words in His time....


Until then, I am praying this for us: that we could 'Be still and know that He is God' (Psalm 46:10), and that 'we would ask that the LORD would help us to seek to dwell in His house all the days of our lives.' Psalm 27:4.


MAY YOU HAVE A RESTFUL MERRY CHRISTMAS FULL OF JESUS!