Am I a mood-killer if I say, “We’re so trapped in this Christmas rat-race that it hijacks the joy of Christmas”?
It was the Sunday evening before our busiest week of the year when I gave myself a head concussion while my head was in the fridge. (Don’t ask why my head was there. Healthy appetite, I suppose, or maybe just chillin‘.)
Tuesday, God paused our Christmas rat-race and we headed to the ER since symptoms hadn’t eased up.
It was the week of our Women’s Christmas party, Church Christmas Celebration in two services, Connect group bible study, kids pushing hard with homeschooling, baking Christmas cookies till midnight, shopping for gift -exchanges, dealing with church banking issues, caring for an adorable guide dog (for two weeks) …
George Muller said it well, “God ordains our steps, and God ordains our stops.” At times our heavenly tasks don’t coincide with our worldly to-do lists. And it can lead to frustration, disappointment… possibly bitterness. But, if we’re willing, God can redeem that time in surprising ways. And joy is bound to happen after the obedience factor.
Can’t say on Tuesday I was ecstatic about this unplanned Hospital Ministry, but I prayed for an opportunity to share Jesus in the ER in spite of my not feeling like it. Prayer works and God connected me with a young lady with kidney stones and gave her a Bible. Also, my Doctor, unconventionally, allowed me to talk to Lina, a 68 year old lady who had just found out she had stage 4 stomach cancer. I got to share the Gospel and pray with her. I lacked eloquence, but God’s not at the mercy of Naty’s perfect discourse. He can make up for anything I lack. He is I AM, all I am not. We just need to be willing.
A friend told me “Naty, you came home with hospital souvenirs.” When we go places, I just get a magnet to clutter our fridge, but these I could stick on my prayer wall (really, the side of my wardrobe). I truly treasure these names as I regularly pray for them.
… Doctor’s orders: “Rest!”
All I heard… “Push harder!”
And “push harder I did”.
Then I realized that I need to push harder on my heavenly tasks, rather than my to-do list. Push harder on carving space to have my nose in the Bible, and my knees in prayer. Push harder in teaching our girls about faith, and godly character. Push harder in serving others with a Christmas meal. Push harder in my thankful attitude when my own list is shoved to the side for the benefit of others. Push harder to share Jesus, and to live Jesus. At times, push harder to slow down.
We’re all born with an expiration date. Since ours is not as visible as the one on the milk jug, we must live today with heavenly tasks in mind. ” ‘Cause I’m just a nobody / Trying to tell everybody / All about Somebody / Who saved my soul / Ever since You rescued me / You gave my heart a song to sing” (Casting Crowns)
May this be our Christmas carol if we want our Christmas rat-race to be a Merry one.