It is November 16th and I have one gift left to buy. It seems silly and like something a 21 year old would never do. In all truth, my grandmother is more stressed about buying her last gifts than I am.
I have committed to running 25 miles each week from now until the holidays are over. Why? It's called discipline. It is realizing and intentionally acting in the truth that my body is a temple, not a trashcan for pumpkin pie, turkey and gained weight.
I just don't want to miss the purpose of Christmas. It gets so washed over and the name of Jesus drug through the muck. The commercials are playing and the watered down fluffy Christmas has hit.
It's time to turn down and tune out what's not true, noble, right, pure, good- from God himself. It's time to turn up and turn up loud praises and saturate myself in scripture and gospel good.
Sometimes we need to detox. Shut off the Ke$ha and bring out the old english man speaking scripture into my ears through headphones and iphone apps when walking through the mall getting that one last gift. Can we learn to see people's faces and their stories rather than glitter balls hung high and low. It's time to dial into what really matters.
Maybe it looks like not going to as many Christmas parties this season or maybe it looks like using canned green beans rather than freshly snapped green beans. Maybe it means stepping back from some friends and pressing into others who are seeking after truth from a sovereign God during the holiday season. Whatever it means, it means intentional actions. Be intentional. Be ready. Prepare the landing way for God to come crash on the scene and teach our hearts something far more beautiful and outlasting the garland hung on front porches.
Listen. Turn your ears on to the sounds of restoration and complete joy happening in your city. Hear the Salvation Army kettle bells and give generously- to whoever you give to. Give big. Break the bank, go ahead I give you permission to blow it all on someone else who is honestly in need of clean water, education, and the lift out of extreme poverty. Give well. Open your eyes to the millions who will spend Christmas alone this year. Open your homes, lives and hearts to the fatherless and elderly. Be ready. Prepare the way for God's glory to come land.
I am just crazy enough to believe Jesus has something big to teach me and my family this year. I don't want to miss it. I don't want to faintly understand what he is wrapping our hearts around because my heart is so wrapped up in paper, bows and light colors. I don't want my heart to be singing Mariah Carey this season but rather my heart to be mulling over the scriptures of the savior who has come in human flesh.
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