It is the week before Christmas and all through the house…

Okay, I’d love to spend the time to write a cute poem…tying in the holiday themes, a quick gospel message, something to make everyone feel good…but to be honest, it just seems too, well, too much right now. It is starting to look like “busy” rather than Christmas. That isn’t a complaint at all, it is just an observation. Or should I say it is more of a self-aware description of how I am feeling and I’m trying really hard not lose sight of what is supposed to be important and what I want to be important in this season.

I have to confess that I one of those who has struggled for years with Christmas. I’m not going to go into all the details but let me just say while my memory on most things goes back a long ways, I can’t even remember a childhood Christmas. They are all blocked out…so learning to enjoy Christmas, to make it something special for my family and to break the cycle of my past has been a major goal. So I’m aware of what is going on inside of my mind.

So as I’m sitting at my desk trying to avoid delving into the “stuff I don’t really want to do but it to important not to” pile, I asked myself how I was doing with Christmas. I started to say back, “this is the best I’ve done I think…no negative feelings, looking forward to spending the time with my adult children, to spending time with my wife…yep, doing okay!” But from somewhere inside came a small but definitive…”Where’s Jesus?”

And as I sat back, took a long sip of coffee and recognized the Spirit beginning to dig…I realized something. While I was doing well dealing with the family side, the responsibility side, even the ministry side of Advent, I wasn’t really taking the time to just “be” with Jesus. Too many minutes/hours spent in conversations, in counseling, in shopping, in preparation, in writing, in…well, in everything else…but not enough time just “bein’ with Jesus.”

So I sat back, closed my eyes and remembered what this is all supposed to be about…

“Thank you Lord for pulling me away from the busyness that I have created. Thank you for reminding me that it is all about You! The only gift that I should be really concerned with is the one that You gave…draw me close to You. What do You think of all these family preparations? Do they make You smile as much as I do? Isn’t great Jesus that my family enjoys getting together? Thank you so much for giving me Your Spirit that I could have worked through my past and changed the future for them…I owe that to You!”

So with that, I ask you all to take a “Jesus Break” and remember the real reason for the season.

Blessings!