Signs of My Times....

   A sign of the cubical wall in the Clinic read: "I'm lost! I've gone to look for myself. If I return before I get back, please have me wait."

   Chuckling at how many holidays I've experienced that state of mind, I mused abut the past adult years of adult holday preparation and experiences. Which of these activities really focused on the true meaning and helped us experience the joy of Christmas  Holy days? What brings more meaning, more joy and fulfillment? I concluded that many of the traditions, preparations, activities had become "out of  focus". Though most of them were good and perhaps even necessary ... why do we end up exhausted, irrritable, even deressed? Could it be misplaced priorities?

   Another quote from the cubical wall:  "God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind, I will never die."  Humorous, but also a mirror reflecting a distortion of the real celebration of Christmas?

   Todays news had a boxin the corner: "24 days until Christmas". Only 24 days to prepare your heart for the Christ child's coming. Will be ready? What will hep me to truly prepare?

   Our souls need Christmas. We need to be reminded that God sent His Son to show us the way to life everlasting? We need this time for rededications and rejoycing. We might even need to declare a "quiet Day".
No TV, conversations, or music. Solitude. Rest. Contemplation. Spend time with the Lord. Read his Word. Then strive to take a little of that quiet back into our routine.

Perhaps the key to truly experiencing Christmas is to remind ourselves that God gives us  His Child every year ... and that he sent his Son that we might have a relationship with Jesus. Have we forgotten that relationships have potential to truly satisfy and enrich?  The heart of the holidays is relationships. Of course parties and gift exchanges build relationships and we grow in sharing joy with those we love. But if we give of ourselves of outside needs, our gift expresses  our love for the Christ Child. It is as if we are handing it to the Lord. If we volunteer to help others with a gift of service and caring, it shifts  our focus from ouselves and often causes the recipient to reflect deeper spiritually ... feel the presence of Jesus.

   I wonder if we should make an effort each day to do something for our earthly family that Jesus might  have done for his: Help with a difficult chore; rub an aching back; give a hug instead of a lecture; pray for missionaries who can't be home for Christmas; Send a card to people who are shut in; befriend  stranger; Smile at everyone; Turn your thoughts and words to praise; List things that bring you joy; Keep a journal of of those wonderful moments that send your heart soaring  and your  mind turning to the godness and majesty of the Lord; During Advent keep a record of you reflections, prayers, thoughts, spiritual longings, and hopes for what Christ will accomplish in and through your life this year. The entries need be only a few words of genuine expression from the heart. Ask the Lord to help move you beyond the hustle.

   I long for you to join me in welcoming God's Son with fresh reverence this year. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.