Christmas Message


Have you ever had one of those moments, where you have seen something a million times, but you finally "got it?" It happened to me last weekend watching the story of Christmas.

The ending of two insanely busy weeks, I had an opportunity to be a part of our church Christmas musical.  Music was just the thing I needed to let me take a deep breath and get in the mood for the holiday season.  I didn't realize I also needed a fresh message from something I had heard a million times before.

Mary delivered our precious Savior in a stable, tired, surrounded by animals...yes, I've heard it before.  Spotlight shining on her alone, as part of a monologue, the beautiful young lady playing Mary said, "I did the best I could."

"I did the best I could."  The perfectionist inside cried aloud, "I did the best I could."  The most perfect thing that happened on this earth was carried out with an unwed teenage mother, in a stable far from home, who did the best she could.

God brought his son not into perfection, but into a home of love and a home of obedience.   They were doing the best they could.  That is what he asks of us.

We want to pride ourselves on our lives and boast of our success.  Other times we want to cower in defeat over circumstances that we can't change or that live in our past.

God is not looking for perfection, he's looking for a willingness to serve and a humbleness that can take on the imperfections and turn them for his Glory.  Who among us is not able to do that.

Father, thank you for sending your son into this world to save us and to set an example of how we can live our lives for your glory.  Remind us this Christmas, as the presents are passed and the days are filled with activity, to focus on the reason we celebrate.  Thank you loving us enough to not only forgive our imperfections, but to embrace them and use them for your glory.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Settling for Less

Image
Hope.  It is a huge little four letter word. Without it we live a life of darkness.  It is the ray of light that is able to pierce through places we cannot see. I am so glad to have the hope of Christ Jesus and his promise of eternal life.  It is so reassuring knowing the suffering and pain we have here on earth will be over, and one day we we will spend eternity in his presence. Even though I know I have this incredible promise, I am so guilty of selling short his ability to work in my day to day life. Friday was a road trip day.  I had the radio off, driving and following the directions of my little google app voice.  It wasn't the Google app automated voice that I heard most clearly.  It was the one who reminded me of the verses above, and how I so often settle for less than he wants for me.  Why?  Because I don't bother to ask. This girl has set some pretty lofty goals for 2016, and I am expecting it to be a year of change.   However, there are other areas of my lif
Read more

On a Very Personal Note-Perfect Peace

Image
My blog has been silent for a couple of weeks.  I've spent a lot of time listening, intensely, to the call God placed on my heart more than two years ago.  Until now I have been able to shove it neatly back into that corner, waiting on this huge opportunity for everything to fall perfectly into place as I wanted it to happen. God has called our family to make changes this year.  We started off looking at a relocation, to make things logistically easier.  Instead change has been about awakening our very complacent spiritual souls and reviving the heart of our family.  We have been so guilty of "going through the motions" of life, living by a checklist of what needs to be done, then falling into bed exhausted at the end of the day with nothing left to give. I have been so incredibly blessed with a job that has fed my passionate desire to help people.  Its been an honor to know that every day I worked, I made a difference in the lives of people across our world, a
Read more

A True Friend

There may be a lonely valley, waiting just around the bend. Many trials will come, before I reach my journey’s end. But through them I’ll be faithful, as I walk in victory. Pressing toward to the moment when my father says to me: Well done my child, your race is over You have fought the fight, and you’ve kept the faith Enter in to the joy of the Lord. Well done my child, you crown is waiting. Here is your robe of white, your mansion is just inside. Come in to the city of the light, well done my child… When I finally see the streets of Gold and the gates of pearl. I know that I’ll forget my every struggle in this world. Every pain and heartache will quickly fade away. In that glorious moment when, I hear my Savior say: Well done my child, your race is over You have fought the fight, and you’ve kept the faith Enter in to the joy of the Lord. Well done my child, you crown is waiting. Here is your robe of white, your mansion is just inside. Come in to the city of the l
Read more