Christmas column from Recorder

Christmas is a season that leads up to a day. The season may begin for you and yours when the last ornament goes on the tree, when Charlie Brown’s Christmas comes on television or a when a certain song is playing on the radio for the first time since last November. I have to admit that this year even though my tree was up before Thanksgiving and I attended several programs that should have ushered me into the Christmas season, I just was not there yet until the last minute. (Shame on me, I know, but I am being honest.) Last Sunday at church, only three days before Christmas Day, I planned a children’s birthday party for Jesus, but my mind was still more random than ready. It was like my attention span had been mounted on the huge spinning color wheel at the fair. You know the one that spins and lands every few minutes on a different color. In my case, the color was a topic that ranged from Eagle football, needing to clean up my filthy car, more online shopping that needed to be done, packages that needed to arrive at the gate delivered by UPS, the menu that needed to get planned, the food that needed to get bought, catching up on our Jesse Tree devotional book, and the energy that it was going to require to get it all done. All of a sudden, everything changed. Ivy and Ally Robinson, the special guests I invited to lead the children in music, stated singing and playing their instruments. They sang “Silent Night” first. By the time about fifty kids and I joined in with them to sing “Happy Birthday Jesus,” it was like I had drawn a line in the sand, and I had stepped over the line and entered into CHRISTMAS. The line separated the hustle and bustle of the season that had been consuming me and the real reason for Christmas, the birth of a King. I realized as the girls were singing that ONLY in my own heart could Christmas begin. Christmas is more than just a warm and fuzzy feeling too wrapped up in a pretty red and green package. Christmas is a TRUTH. It is the reason I am free, forgiven, loved, redeemed, secure, chosen…the list goes on and on. After I got my heart right, Christmas got right and everything slowed down here. There has been an array of family visits, Hallmark movies, dogs sleeping in the house chewing on new rawhides, laughter, and sunshine. Our days have been spent shooting new bow and arrows, jumping on the trampoline, building a deer stand, and eating leftovers. I have used the extra family time at home to talk about patience and kindness on a regular basis as needed and to drink extra coffee on the back porch. Our Jesse Tree devotional on Christmas Day had a prayer that I read. It said “Dear Jesus, Christmas Day is such a special day because you were born on earth! We thank You for coming as a little baby to be our Savior. Help us to make room for You in our hearts, this blessed Christmas morn.” That is just what I had to do. I had to make room in my heart for Jesus. He has lived there for many years now, but I allowed Him to get crowded out and quite honestly, nothing felt right. Maybe that prayer would be a good way to start every day of 2014. “Dear Jesus, help me to make room in my heart for YOU today.” A list of resolutions will come and go. More of Jesus will remain forever.