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)