May the 4th Be With You

Happy 4th Sunday of Advent and Happy Christmas Eve! We can join many others who will attend church today to breathe in what all this decorating, baking, shopping, partying, and having family and friend get togethers has been all about.

It is unusual for Christmas Eve to fall on a Sunday. We are making the most of it by going to church with my children this morning and to our church in the afternoon.

The last few days and weeks have had a lot of pressure and weight on them. Honestly, I have carried some heaviness (not just because of eating too much and my clothes being too tight) but some unavoidable angst that typically comes this time of the year.

But I am coming to a screeching halt this morning, Christmas Eve, to breathe in my Lord and Savior. I will walk into church and breathe in deep. I will lay aside concerns and celebrate the birth of my King, Who is no longer in the manger. He will meet me there.

My Savior is there — here. There is no look of disappointment from Him in me not coming here sooner. There is no worry that I’m going to let Him down. There is joy in this place. There is peace in this place. There is expectancy of life here.

And I will breathe it in, in all its glory. This peace, this warmth, this love, this life. I’ve been thinking lately of what it means to be alive. To have been given life by the Light of the world. I want to live ALIVE.

I don’t want to be frazzled. I don’t want to be numb to what this day is all about. I don’t want to look back and think Phew, I’m sure glad that is over.

I want to breathe in peace, every single day — not just on this Christmas Eve. I want to breathe out love and generosity and warmth out of the overflow that is given to me.

As I worship Him, my cup is getting filled up again. It starts right here, in my prayer. It starts right here, in the Word. It starts right here, in full surrender of my life – wholeheartedly to the ONE Who came, lived, died, rose again and lives forevermore.

This Sunday. This Christmas Eve is bringing all the rift-raft, all the list-making and celebrating of the jolly old soul to a halt because this day is about the journey to the manger. It is here that the greatest gift to all mankind was born.

Let that sink in. Through a deepening of understanding of the God of the Universe Who came to earth in flesh and bones, we can bend our knees as did the shepherds to worship Him.

NOTHING is more important than this. NOTHING is more important than our relationship with God Who came down to save us. This is NOT an obligation. This is the Living Water Who pours out LIFE.

May all else fall to the wayside as we give honor and glory to the One Who is and Who was and Who is to come. And we are filled up by this One, radically changed by this One, transformed and made whole by this One.