An Unhurried Holiday by Karen Ehman
"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger." Luke 2:16 (NIV)
"Hurry up! We're going to be late to the choir concert!"
"Come on kids. Help me unload these groceries right now. I've got to get these cookies baked before bedtime."
"Is it 6 a.m. already? I gotta get to that door buster sale as soon as it opens so I don't miss out on the deals!"
With
the holiday season upon us, the music at the mall announces that folks
are dreaming of a white Christmas. That may be true. But in reality,
many women are dreaming of something else white: a little more white
space on our December calendars!
Pageants. Parties. Shopping
trips. Baking days. Wrapping nights. At every turn there are people to
see, things to do, stuff to buy. The hustle and bustle of this
supposed-to-be-happy season can knock the holly-jolly right out of our
holidays and replace it with hurried-up headaches instead.
As a result, our calendars become overloaded, crowding out the spiritual significance of the season.
I
wonder if the participants in the original Christmas story ever dreamed
that the celebration of Christ's birth would become so hassled and
hurried. The shepherds? The angels? The wise men? Mary and Joseph too?
Was
hurriedness present the night Jesus was born? We might think that it
was not. But actually, there was hurry present that night. However, it
wasn't to the mall or grocery store that people were rushing.
The
shepherds were working in the fields when suddenly an ensemble of
angels told them the Christ Child had been born. Luke 2:16 says they
hurried off to find Him lying in a manger.
If I had been one of
those shepherds, I would have been quiet and amazed once I got there.
Being around a newborn baby makes me speak in a hushed tone and feel
such awe as I see new life. In the presence of Jesus I wonder if those
men too were settled and silent.
Maybe we could do the same
today. In the midst of our holiday hustle and tasks, we could stop;
leave our work. We could slow down long enough to hurry in another
direction. We could put our activities on hold so we might quietly meet
with our Lord. We could be settled and silent in the presence of Jesus.
As
a result we just might discover an unhurried holiday: a season that
will strengthen us spiritually instead of sapping our energy and joy.
How
about it? Will we pause and purpose to hurry into His presence instead
of rushing from task to task? Dare we linger long enough to be refreshed
by the company of the One whom the holiday is really about? The tasks
will wait while we do.
Here's to more "white space" this Christmas; space that creates more room in our days for meeting with Jesus!
Dear
Lord, remind me daily that it's You I should rush to during the holiday
hustle. Not things. Not activities. I want to seek and find only You.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Reflect and Respond:
What activities and responsibilities threaten to make you rushed and stressed at the holidays?
Pull away from the holiday hustle and spend time with Jesus.
Power Verses:
Luke 2:15, "When
the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to
one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has
happened, which the Lord has told us about.'" (NIV)
Proverbs 8:17, "I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me." (HCSB)
© 2012 by Karen Ehman. All rights reserved.
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A Prayer to Put Jesus First This Christmas Season
By Debbie McDaniel
“And
she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and
laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7
No room for them. No vacancy. No place. Words that still seem to hang close, even today.
In
a world that seeks to crowd Jesus out, where busyness abounds, and
hearts are stirred to focus on other things, it can be hard sometimes to
choose to keep Him first. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the
whole hurried dash of the holidays, and to give our attention to what
seems more urgent. Our focus gets blurred; and the most important gets
pushed aside.
It takes an active and daily choice to put Christ
first, especially in a culture that says you’re too busy to focus there.
Or that life is too full. And there’s no more room.
May God help us to choose wisely, what voices we listen to, and where we give our attention today.
He is the One who brings true meaning to Christmas.
He is the One who brings real peace in this all-too-often hectic season.
He is the only One worthy of our time and attention as we slow down the maddening rush around our lives.
We
can know all of this in our heads, but may He help us to really believe
it in our hearts...and choose to live it out this season.
Renewed.
Refreshed.
Making room for Him, first.
Dear God,
Help
us to keep our focus first on Christ this season. Please forgive us for
giving too much time and attention on other things. Help us to reflect
again, on what Christmas is really all about. Thank you that you came to
give new life, peace, hope, and joy. Thank you that your power is made
perfect in our weakness. Help us to remember that the gift of Christ,
Immanuel, is our greatest treasure, not just at Christmas, but for the
whole year through. Fill us with your joy and the peace of your Spirit.
Direct our hearts and minds towards you. Thank you for your reminder
that both in seasons of celebration and in seasons of brokenness, you’re
still with us. For you never leave us. Thank you for your daily
powerful Presence in our lives, that we can be assured your heart is
towards us, your eyes are over us, and your ears are open to our
prayers. Thank you that you surround us with favor as with a shield, and
we are safe in your care. We choose to press in close to you today…and
keep you first in our hearts and lives.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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