Tuesday, December 24, 2019

it’s Christmas

Christmas has always been sad to me. 
I dunno why. I didn’t have a particularly bad childhood. But Christmas has always seemed sad to me...
The theme of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special makes me sad. Reminds me of my grandfather.
As I made breakfast this morning, I realized I was not as sad as I was pensive.
Christmas marks the end of the calendar year. And I’ve been reflective of this year. It was a hard year.
But as I am learning, life is hard period. Whether it comes in a clump or is spread out over a life time. 
What I chose to focus on is that Christmas is a reminder of Christ’s gift of His presence. And to be thankful for the people surrounding me.
I’m also thinking of Mary. I’m especially drawn to her during this season of my life. I wonder what her feeling was travelling to Bethleham, giving birth in a barn... I’d be so over it- “pick someone else!” Maybe she supernaturally felt this purpose and was totally cool with it. Did she see the glow of the angels appearing to the shephards in the sky?  I wonder what human emotions ran through her...
Anyway go read Luke 2:7-14. When I was a kid, I had to memorize this passage for a school play. I still remember it.
I pray these days find you pensive: contemplating God’s Love for you...

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Mary’s motherhood

mary
i’ve been thinking a lot about mary, Jesus’ mother.

I’m especially drawn to her pregnancy and the birth of Christ. Could you imagine? There were no pregnancy pictures. No Gender reveal party. No Showers. No comfortable hospital bed. Did she have medication? No body brought her Chick Fil A or a cup of coffee afterwards. No special outfit to bring Jesus home in. No cute bassinet. No flowers. No door hanger. No wipe warmer. 

Did the power of the Holy Spirit so envelope her that none of those things mattered? Or did even for a minute she thought, “It’s not supposed to go this way.”

So why are we so shocked when things go side ways? I know I am. I get this idea in my head of how it’s supposed to be and when it doesn’t go that way, in the past, I stumble over that event.

Maybe it’s just human nature. Maybe it’s my need for control. The struggle I have is myself railing against the Lord’s holy appointments for me. 

We’ve made Christmas to be about traditions. And traditions are good. But it catches me up when things don’t go as planned... “It’s not supposed to be this way.” 

All of Mary’s motherhood is: It’s not supposed to go this way.
Can you imagine the crictism she received? “oh, bless, she delivered in a STABLE....”. 

But in all of time that I have spent lamenting about “it’s not supposed to be this way” what have I missed? I’ve missed a lot. I’ve acted in ways that I should not have. 

Lord, help me.

I hope to turn to the celebration that Christmas means and let go of traditions not continued for whatever reason. I hope I can remember that Christmas is about imperfections made perfect in His presence.