From Presents to Presence
Yesterday the young ones were jumping in excitement: “He was here! He was here!” The “jolly old soul” showed up! They were sure he was there. The cookie plate and glass of milk were empty!
Stockings that were hung by the chimney with care were bulging with presents on the floor. I made it back home to Austin from East Texas to celebrate Santa’s deliveries with my Austin family. It was precious family times in each other’s presence and God’s presence as I read my annual Christmas letter to them.
This is the day after…..and young and old alike are having great fun with the gadgets, gear and new toys with put-together parts. For the Wuerch clan, when you read this, we will be flying to or landing in Cabo San Lucas for our annual Christmas and New Year family get-away.
Thanks be to God for this precious time of recuperation from a full year of many hiccups and ups and downs along the way – but mostly enjoying and embracing the many blessings of God’s amazing grace Who carried us through!
I’ll be going to my “secret places” in Cabo. That is my early mornings in God’s presence. I’ll watch the sun come up over the Pacific Ocean where it meets the Sea of Cortez on the southernmost point of the Baja California Peninsula. I’ll know the Master Artist is at work once again.
The presents have all been opened. All the wrappings are in big trash bags. We sang “Joy to the world; the Lord has come!” But what proof do we have? After all, of all those presents under the tree – there were none from Him!
Without a shadow of a doubt….I know, because His PRESENCE is in my heart today. Emmanuel – GOD WITH US. God is with ME! God is with YOU!
The greatest gift conceivable isn’t about a one-day celebration. He Who sat on heaven’s throne showed up here on Planet Earth – all because His Dad came up with a grand idea of taking heaven to earth by sending His Son to show us the way!
Before His Mama’s “Yes”, He said “Yes.” “I’ll go and SHOW UP for them!” It ALL happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment. God became a man! Heaven opened up and placed her most precious ONE in a human womb that brought Him to this side of heaven. How marvelous! How wonderful! EVERYTHING we would ever need or want, wrapped in one package.
It seems almost irreverent to think of the Son of God coming to earth. There’s something about keeping Him divine that keeps Him distant and predictable. BUT DON’T DO IT! For Heaven’s sake, DON’T!
It was a Master Plan for Him to be human so that you and I have someone who gets us — who gets our needs — who understands our pains — who SHOWS UP for us when we need Him most. Let His human example of loving the unlovely, forgiving despite rejection, understanding everything about us because He was one of us — be our example to others, too.
Let Him into the mire and muck of our world. That’s how He showed up and that’s how He “finished up”. Only if we let Him in can He pull us out! Let Him be God with us which means we are never alone and never without a Savior.
Please take time in these next few days before 2023 shows up – to ponder, reflect, plan and purpose to make God the biggest part of your new year. Put Him where He belongs in your New Year’s resolutions – at the top of your TO DO list. Above all – let Him show up in You to others.