Winding down

 He said before, “This is the time and place to rest,  to give rest to the weary. This is the place to lay down your burden. But they won’t listen.

(Isaiah 28:12)

Feel that pause? After all the hub-bub of the Christmas holiday, yes, I am ready to wind down. Ready for the period of "nothingness" that comes between the two holidays of Christmas and New Years. There seems to be a resting period. Plans get put on hold. Everyone seems to be waiting. Fresh starts begin - later. But for now ... we rest. We have this span of time where we don't have to start just yet. 

So take this pause. Just breathe for awhile. What could be done - has been done. You did the best you could at the time. A new year lies ahead, but we don't have to get it all planned out right this minute. A lot of life just comes at us and we live it out. Many a-time I have planned my days only to have something else come up - sometimes a friend needed a listening ear, last minute help over at the church, sometimes it was for spontaneous fun. 

We need times of rest. We are called by God to rest. We need time when we aren't in motion. Time to just sit and soak in the moment. Not evaluating. Not planning. Not anything. How often have you treated yourself to such luxury? You need downtimes. On a regular basis. It's not lazy. See it as reviving. See it as an important part of life's cycle. 

Take it.
Listen.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

 

Thank you for supporting Intermissions for Hope with your readership. Thank you for turning your eyes away from the worldly for those few moments to reading a blog post - and accepting the invitation to hope in Jesus. And the love of God that is always present. Thank you for allowing me and my God-thoughts a place in your day as you grow in faith and love. 

I pray over each one of you by name. I pray you know your mustard seed faith is sufficient for each day. I pray you have a certain hope inside you that gives you a secret smile - because you know, you know the Lord is all about good endings. It’s just a matter of time before you see it, live it…

May you take an intermission, a real pause, from all the clamoring and expectations of the season and just rest before the manger. The One Who saves us has been born. We have hope and a future. Do not be afraid. God is with you. The peace of Christ be with you all. May you encounter it in your pause…

Capture the moment

There is hustle and bustle for many this time of year. A lot of fulfilling expectations of all that Christmas should be. But I urge you to not miss out on the little surprising moments God sends your way. The one moment that fills your whole chest with the reason of the season. It breaks through all the chaos in your head and lands hard in your heart. It stops you in your tracks and you know, you know, in that moment - you didn’t miss the true meaning of Christmas.

One year, my pastor husband created a Christmas Eve service outside at the life-size nativity out front of the church. On the Main Street. All in the village were invited to attend. It was dark and cold and I believe a little damp. There was music and readings of course. But what did it for me was the Christ candle at the foot of the manger. We all took our candle, entered into the crèche, stooped low before Jesus in the manger, and lit our candle there. Then we sang Silent Night - in the cold, crisp air. That moment, that sensation, is forever embedded in my heart. True Christmas spirit visited me…

And afterwards, as my husband often did, after everyone had gone, he went up into the church and programmed the bells to play Silent Night. And it rang out in a truly silent night… goosebumps. It surely settled me down from all the doings of the holiday to the being in the holiday.

The paper and ribbons and bows and bags, the goodies and treats, the decorations and special clothes and every kind of holiday cheer - while enjoyable - pale in comparison to the personal gift from God of alerting our senses to the deep, deep meaning of His love and His gift of a Savior for the world.

So I pray something catches you, something so deep and moving and undeniable, that Christ coming - for you - leaves you speechless. As these two moments in my walk have done for me.

Keep a sharp lookout! For you do not know when I will come, at evening, at midnight, early dawn or late daybreak. (Mark 13:35 TLB)

Tell My people, I, the Lord your God, am coming to save you and will bring you many gifts. (Isaiah 62:11 TLB)

When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him… “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:31, 32 NIV)

 

CURIOUS ?

 

Boxes of Christmas decorations. You know what’s inside? Handmade ornaments. Gifted decorations from dear friends. Artwork from children. Antique ornaments from my parent’s family tree. Each delicately wrapped up in tissue - because each piece is precious. Bringing warmth and love and cheer to my soul. Such anticipation at opening these boxes and embracing all that goodness…

But, what if I don’t open the boxes? What if I rely on memory? What if those memories have faded and don’t bring the explosive joy felt in previous times? You can’t imagine me having all of this, and not opening, caressing, remembering fondly, and displaying for all to see - all these triggers of joy…

God feels the same about the gifts He sends you. There they are - ready to be opened - and enjoyed. But do you? Or do distractions, guilt, depression or unworthiness or fill in the blank - cause you to not jump in with outstretched arms and receive all He offers. All that immeasurable love, joy that gladdens the spirit, comfort for aching hearts, rest for weary souls, healings of the past, promised help for the future - causing such irresistible smiling, and a warmth nothing on earth can replicate. Oh, and so much more! If only you would lift the lid and peek inside. What pleasures await the one who does! God, the Giver of good things - has good things for you! Treasures beyond measure for those who seek Him. Delights for your path as you await for Christ’s second coming…

Do not be afraid… do not resist… do not hesitate…

God has everlasting gifts for you in Christ Jesus. Not as the world gives…

Be open. And open all the Lord desires you to have and experience. Experiences of joy and gladness. And such thankfulness. Rejoice, and be glad! I say it again: Rejoice! Celebrate! Dive in! 

This is the time to be childlike. To gladly receive what the Father lovingly prepared for you. A Savior, yes! But also a trustworthy Friend to walk daily with you through every time and trial - and celebration too! Let the tissue paper fly with exuberance! Let Him know how much you love and appreciate His good gifts to you.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15) (precious beyond words) AMP

Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. (James 1:16 MSG)

He came to help us

 

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. (John 3:16-18 MSG)

For some of us, our ears have become desensitized to this most powerful message of John 3:16. For God so loved the world, blah, blah, blah … yeah. We know. But …

He gave His Son. I remember when my one and only son went on his first tour of Iraq. I reflected on “giving up” a son. I thought about Abraham preparing to sacrifice his only son. Striving against all that was in him - to obey God no matter what. To trust God and His love no matter what. Because God wanted a testimony to His character. 

Anyone can have a whole and lasting life. For those of you who knew me years ago, you may have wondered how wild I would go before surrendering and believe in Him. But God is relentless. I had siblings who I didn’t think, didn’t know, if they would come to believe. It was not until later in life that the knowledge came to me – they all know and believe in the risen Lord. Never lose hope on anyone. The Lord is in active pursuit.

He came to help. How many of us, how many times have we seen God as an angry, punishing God? Standing at the ready with a ruler in His hand, ready to smack our knuckles. When it is with “tears” He watches us make poor choices and suffer consequences. With great tenderness He reaches down to guide us down the right path. How He longs for us to understand His full - encompassing mercy. All your sins have been paid for – This one-of-a-kind Son came. He came. Believe in this good news!