From Grinch to Merry Christmas

I don't know anyone who doesn't have moments of "Grinch-ness" this time of year. We have so many more things to do, so much shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, traveling. It's all for a wonderful cause, but it is still easy to get overwhelmed and the Grinch takes over.

I have done much more this week than usual, and most of it has gone smoothly and though I went to bed tired every night, I was pleased at my accomplishments. But today, when we started on our adventure for the day, I was disappointed because my son was too ill to go with us. It had been his idea in the first place, and I know he was really feeling badly to decide to stay home. Then my husband didn't like the route I took and the weather was suddenly becoming a challenge. In no time, I was wallowing in disappointment and feeling sorry for myself (now, does that make sense? I'm not even sick!). My joy was gone.

But we arrived at our destination, parked and started on the long walk inside. It was cold and the wind was fierce, but all around us children danced along having already been through the amazing display of ice sculptures or in anticipation. Despite the crowds, things moved along well and soon we were surrounded by ice. As we went through the display, I first realized it was far too cold for my son to have had any business being there, so his staying home was a good thing. Then I realized that I was still having a good time even though things had not gone exactly as I had hoped they would.

And then, we entered the last room.

Just like the Grinch, I had a change of heart.

All the long hours of this week, the time spent in long lines at the few stores I went into this week, the exhaustion, and the chaos within myself were suddenly acceptable.

The peace I let fall away returned, and I was joyful again. I remembered how grateful I am for the blessings I have in my life. I remembered how much I appreciate the gifts from friends - especially those that are a sacrifice of time and effort. I remembered that my attitude is a reflection of my heart. Since the Son of God lives in my heart, I need to allow the reflection to be of Him - not my own attitudes.

And what about the Grinch made these changes in my thoughts and attitudes? Not a thing. Instead, when we entered the last room, this is what I saw.

And this. The reminder of what this season is all about.

I caught myself trying to do more than I should have been doing as a part of the busyness of the season and not enough about what it is all about. Seeing the life-size ice sculptures was a beautiful way to take myself back to the humble stable and the birth of the Child Who would one day be my Savior.

And as we left there, the beginnings of a very rare White Christmas were evident. The snow increased as we drove home and we will wake up in the morning to the unusual sight and experience of snow. We got home to find my son feeling better - not well, but definitely improved. I'm glad he did the wise things and stayed home. I shared my photos with him and we had a pleasant afternoon and evening.

And I thank my Lord that "He came all this way, all the way from glory to give abundant life. It's hard to imagine from heaven's throne; He came all this way to make my heart His home." And tomorrow, I will spend my day rejoicing in the birth of a tiny Child Who grew up and died for my sake.

The Grinch is gone and instead I wish for all, MERRY CHRISTMAS! May the Peace promised by the angels the night Christ was born fill your heart, even when things are overwhelming and life is not going smoothly, because that peace is inside and allows us to face the difficulties with the joy of the shepherds when they heard the first noel that first Christmas morning. And may your Christmas Day be filled with family, fun and happiness.

Praying Till it Hurts

I've been locked in prayer for a friend for the past several days. It is an honor to do that but also a huge responsibility.

Many years ago, I was privileged to attend a seminar taught by Don Miller about prayer. He taught us to spend an hour a day in prayer. Back in those days, I actually did that - an hour every morning. It goes by faster than you think, because he taught us to use five-minute segments for different types of prayer. Did you know, for instance, the difference between praise and thanksgiving?

Praise is an acknowledgement of Who God is - His character, His attributes, His Names which describe Him specifically. Thanksgiving is showing appreciation for specific acts in our behalf - answers to prayers, protection in dangerous situations, etc.

I frequently mention in my blogs that we fail to be thankful for the times when God steps in to protect us or we pray for something and then when the answer comes, we forget to thank Him for that answer. We are in this country, very lax on being thankful. We are a nation of entitlement and that spills over and becomes ungratefulness.

Recently, I had started into the big city near where I live to pick up my Christmas cards. I was zipping along at the posted speed limit, and suddenly realized, the UHaul trailer in front of me was not zipping along. In fact, he was braking hard and the trailer was doing a little dance in and out of the lane (fish-tailing for those who didn't get the picture from that description). There was enough traffic around me that I couldn't veer into another lane and I really didn't think it was possible to get my car stopped before I hit that trailer.

BTW - My husband is a Penske dealer, so hitting a UHaul trailer would be a greater offense in our home than in most.

I hit my brakes hard. There was rumbling and thumping and shaking. I eased up once to be sure all was well and realized what I was experiencing was the miracle of an anti-lock braking system. It is rare that I utilize that item. I hit the brakes again, but honestly, I was very surprised when my car stopped short of the trailer. I took a deep breath, and actually remembered to whisper a thank you to God for preventing my inclusion in the already growing accident scene that led to the trailer's driver stopping in front of me.

The point is to recognize and acknowledge God's activities in our lives. They are constant, but we fail to see them.

Other components of an hour of prayer include praying for others, praying for yourself, and even listening to God. For five minutes? You've got to be kidding. But you know, Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." Years ago a friend gave me a framed calligraphy version of this verse. It reads, "SHUT UP and know that I am God."

So much of the time, we concentrate every moment in prayer on telling God what we need or what we want Him to do - almost like the list children send to Santa Claus. Yesterday, while I was praying for an extended time for my friend, I got quiet for a few moments and God led me to pray specifically about something different from what I'd been concentrating on.

You see, God already knows the needs. He knew my friend would be in this situation before He even created Adam and the garden. I don't need to tell God anything. Yet in Luke 18, Jesus spoke about a widow who went "continually before the judge" with her petition. The judge got tired of hearing from her and granted her what she asked. Psalms refer to prayers as incense for the Lord. He wants to hear from us. He wants us to bring before him the names of those in need.

He wants to be in communication with us.

And that's what prayer is all about. As I write this, the answers have not become to come yet. There will be several answers. Some I will rejoice in, and others I may ask God "Why?" Either way, I continue to pray for my friend. I've cried, I've been silent, I've been vocal even praying aloud at times. And I know the answers are coming. I know God is Sovereign. He is in control. And He loves my friend more than I do.

I have known people, men and women, who utilize prayer requests as a form of gossip. They would never acknowledge that, but I am careful who I ask to pray for me. I actually have eight chosen prayer partners. I trust them with nearly every aspect of my life. However, they know that I don't have to know the details of a situation to pray, and sometimes, I ask them to pray without the details. You see? God knows the details. Sometimes, he brings someone to mind, and I turn that thought into prayer for them, and I may never know what was going on. I don't need to know. I think of the servicemen I have prayed for over the years and not known at all what they were involved in, but I know of two instances when weeks or hours later, I did get to know that God called me to prayer for them at the exact moment they were facing grave danger. Just knowing that two times is enough to keep me praying.

The point is, I don't want to ask someone to pray for a specific need only to have that person spread around that I have that need. I want to choose who I share with. So, I asked my prayer partners to pray for my friend, but they have no idea who they are praying for or the ins and outs of the situation - only that someone needs prayer.

Finally, God blesses us with this little bonus for praying for others. It's called love. Not romantic love, but godly love - agape love. He tells us to pray for our enemies. Now THAT is a challenge. Still, when we do, we are able to forgive them and by doing so, we release ourselves from the bonds of anger, hatred, and self-centeredness. Sometimes that means our relationships will be restored. Sometimes it means that though forgiven, those people will not be trustworthy and we will need to be wise about future contacts with them. Either way, we are commanded to love one another.

And when we already love one another, and someone is hurting, we pray until it hurts us too. That's what Jesus did. That is our calling.

Need a Pleasing Machine?

My dad had a saying when I was growing up, "Some people can't be pleased with a pleasing machine." This should be obvious, but I grew up in America - land of the free. And I am grateful for that freedom. I know very well that our freedom comes at great cost - many have died to secure and preserve it.

It is cold here today. Last night, our little town held its annual tree lighting ceremony. My car said it was 44°. Another man said his was reporting 39°. The church sign across the street flashed a chilly 35°. In addition, the wind was blowing. It was kind enough to blow from the east and we needed to face the west - except for the choir and people on the dais (in this case, the gazebo) who were facing us and the wind. Two large containers of hot chocolate were emptied in no time.

Just a few months ago, I was lamenting the heat. I even maintain a different schedule in the winter. In the summer, I am up and out of bed early because it is hotter in my room than in the rest of the house. I try to get all my chores done so I can sit and do absolutely nothing through the hottest part of the day. But at this time of year, I stay in bed as long as I possibly can. Yesterday, I addressed all of my Christmas cards and wrote notes for the ones that needed those all from the comfort and warmth of my bed. A year ago last summer, when we bought new bedroom furniture, my greatest excitement about it was having a flat nightstand on which I can sit a cup of coffee safely and enjoy coffee in bed.

What does all of this have to do with pleasing machines? I rarely listen or watch the news or weather on television, but when I do, I am aware of how rarely the meteorologist says our weather is good. Instead, no matter what is going on, he expresses disappointment in the current conditions. I have lived through droughts only to hear complaints when rain finally arrives and lasts more than a day.

The cold of the winter is necessary for germination. The heat of winter provides nutrition for all. A quick frost in autumn signals the leaves to burst forth in one last flame of glory. The "dead" of winter ends with the first bright bursts of color in spring.

I complained last week myself because it was warm and I was ready for some cold. Last night, I was complaining because it was cold and I had to be outside for a little over an hour for the tree lighting. A momentary discomfort to celebrate the birth of my King, Lord and Savior. He suffered far longer and much more significantly to bring me New Life - the new spring in my life to replace the dead of winter.

Today, my prayer is that I will accept the weather for the symbol that it is in my own life, and do so without complaint. That I will cherish the cold and have within an attitude of gratefulness as I tackle the tasks of the day with joy in my heart. We live on a beautiful earth. I will appreciate what God has given to me and to us without need for a pleasing machine. And finally, that I will not abuse the freedom I have to speak freely by focusing on complaints.

Happy Cold Weather! Happy Work Day! Happy Shopping Day! I hope your heart is merry whatever you are doing today.