Awaiting Christmas seems something we all know anything about Christmas does. We wait for the day - for..what? the parties, the gifts, the meeting-up-with-friends, or the obligatory family meals?
Since Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, then we await of all other 'waits', an encounter - with Jesus.
In the first Christmas* Jesus was born in a stable due to overcrowding and way too much activity to fulfill a political requirement. The conditions have not changed all that much has it?
But surely, if God became man, He must be looking for a home that is uniquely human - like each of our hearts.
So in the run up to Christmas as I spend time with Jesus, He took me on a tour of the garden of my heart.
The first thing i noticed were the weeds. How come so much and it all those old familiar places too...and some new corners they are spouting! Weeding is such hard work. I really wanted Him to wave His hand and like good Blu-Ray effects, have them morph before my eyes into more profitable growth...
Then i also saw some surprising blooms. One of them was called Stability. I knew i didn't know how to plant that one! If i am stable, it's more likely because I was afraid to move or at best had some vague convictions about staying... But the accents of red, fuschia and spring greens were astonishingly beautiful! The fragrance lingered long with me as i walked on...
Then a light fell all about me and the garden faded from view as I recognise afresh who was walking with me. He turned and said: "you are mine forever"..and then seemed to vanish from my sight even as i felt sure of His continued presence....
This morning, i gathered the kids, we learnt to sing an old song 'Thank you, jesus in my heart" in various languages, and made up a new one:
Jesus loves you and me
In our hearts He wants to be
His Spirit always sets us free
We love Jesus!
Welcome Jesus. Welcome Christmas.
*Christmas was originally a pagan festival date which the christians adopted as they wanted to remember the coming of the world's Saviour.
Since Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, then we await of all other 'waits', an encounter - with Jesus.
In the first Christmas* Jesus was born in a stable due to overcrowding and way too much activity to fulfill a political requirement. The conditions have not changed all that much has it?
But surely, if God became man, He must be looking for a home that is uniquely human - like each of our hearts.
So in the run up to Christmas as I spend time with Jesus, He took me on a tour of the garden of my heart.
The first thing i noticed were the weeds. How come so much and it all those old familiar places too...and some new corners they are spouting! Weeding is such hard work. I really wanted Him to wave His hand and like good Blu-Ray effects, have them morph before my eyes into more profitable growth...
Then i also saw some surprising blooms. One of them was called Stability. I knew i didn't know how to plant that one! If i am stable, it's more likely because I was afraid to move or at best had some vague convictions about staying... But the accents of red, fuschia and spring greens were astonishingly beautiful! The fragrance lingered long with me as i walked on...
Then a light fell all about me and the garden faded from view as I recognise afresh who was walking with me. He turned and said: "you are mine forever"..and then seemed to vanish from my sight even as i felt sure of His continued presence....
This morning, i gathered the kids, we learnt to sing an old song 'Thank you, jesus in my heart" in various languages, and made up a new one:
Jesus loves you and me
In our hearts He wants to be
His Spirit always sets us free
We love Jesus!
Welcome Jesus. Welcome Christmas.
*Christmas was originally a pagan festival date which the christians adopted as they wanted to remember the coming of the world's Saviour.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and heart here, and helping to to build a real, faith-full community together!