Peace

All week I begged the Lord to give me an Ah-Ha moment that would reveal to me something incredible that would help me grasp the true meaning of Christmas.  You see, I find myself getting frustrated with the ‘world’, who rejects my Jesus yet wants to celebrate “Christmas”…or more commonly known these days as “the holidays”.  Why celebrate a holiday that commemorates Someone you don’t believe in?  Stop it!  It’s OUR holiday and you have hijacked it and made it your holiday!!

Yep, great attitude, huh?  Then, I am put in my proverbial place as I am oh, so gently reminded that I am the one that is celebrating Christmas just like the world does!!  I decorate the house, I buy the gifts, I want gifts, I cook and bake and (used to) send out Christmas cards.  I go to parties and eat too much and drive around and look at light covered lawns and roofs.  I sing the songs and cry through the cheesy movies.  As it turns out, my Christmas looks a whole lot like the world’s. 

Sure, I know the real reason.  I know it is because my God left heaven and became like me so that I could become like Him in character and will (among other things).  I have lots of nativity scenes around the house to remind me of the real meaning.  We sing carols about Jesus, we didn’t teach our children that Santa Claus was real, we read the Christmas story before we open gifts, and, for goodness sakes, we go to Christmas Eve services at church and give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering!!! 

But…for some reason, I felt like none of that was enough.  I still felt like I was missing something.  That surely there was more.  That God wanted me to see more.  Know more. Experience more.  Feel more.  Yet nothing came.

After our children and grandchildren had blessed our home for a week, and after everything was picked up, sheets and towels washed, leaves removed from the table to make it smaller, I kept waiting to hear from God.  “Speak to me, Lord”, I cried over and over.  What do You want me to know, feel, hear, experience that will knock my socks off?  What is it???? 

Silence.

It wasn’t until after I looked at the picture I took below of our table with dishes cleared, leaves removed, food vacuumed from the floor, people gone, that I saw it.  At first I was a little sad.  Everyone was gone, the table looked so empty and small.  Then I was encouraged by the sunshine pouring in from outside.  Then, for some reason, I looked at the blue chest and zoomed in on it.  Look at the zoomed in picture below of the nativity scene that one of our small children set up.  Look at the picture to the right of the scene…PEACE.

 

What Jesus wanted me to know is Peace.  He brings Peace.  He is Peace.  In the midst of whatever we go through His presence in us is Peace.  I wanted something loud and profound and new.  He wanted to remind me He is Peace.  And I needed it…and didn’t know it.  Sometimes I want something new and profound and sometimes He reminds me of what I forget!

I will now do what the shepherds did…they ‘went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…’.  Tomorrow I will go to church and share with the ‘flock’ that the Lord has entrusted to me in my Sunday school class and ‘glorify and praise God’!!  And rest in His Peace.

What have you forgotten that you need to be reminded of?