On our way to Christmas!

I love this time of year.  I have been listening to Christmas music for weeks now, since right after Halloween I guess!  I have my early morning coffee with the Lord next to our very large Christmas tree, and for a little while, all seems well with the world . . .

Yesterday morning I was singing “Joy to the World” in church, thinking about what it means for ‘our hearts to prepare him room’… Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
 Let earth receive her King;
 let every heart prepare Him room,
 and Heaven and nature sing … While Heaven and nature will sing about the birth of the Lord, I am convinced there is some heart preparation we ought do in anticipation of the celebration of our King.   Otherwise, Christmas day will arrive and we might feel we just somehow missed it.  I love what my pastor said the other day—Christians celebrate two comings of Jesus Christ—the one when he came to earth as a baby in a manger, grew to be a man, and died for us . . . and the next coming when he will come for us in the clouds.  You and I must always have one eye cast toward the clouds; for one day, Jesus will split them, and gather us, and it will be glorious!

Now where was I?  Just a few days ago, our thoughts were filled with giving thanks; whether or not we spoke them aloud, we endeavored to count our blessings.  And then, as we turned just one calendar page, we were launched into ‘the season’.  Our pace quickened—so much to be done!  There is the Tree to put up, the presents to buy, work to close out the year, baking to be done, cards to be written and sent… who has time to make room for Jesus?  To which I say, we do … we must.   

There is a practical reason Thanksgiving always precedes Christmas—it sets in motion the ideal mental attitude to carry us through the weeks in between.  See, when we sustain a spirit of gratitude in these weeks, Christmas is a celebration, and not just a marathon!*  As we anticipate our Lord’s birth, let’s purpose to maintain hearts and minds filled with gratitude.  When we choose to be thankful, it changes us-

Some of the prayers of believers of years gone by provide us with wonderful focus:

Eternal God, my sovereign Lord, I acknowledge all I am, all I have is yours. Give me such a sense of your infinite goodness that I may return to you all possible love and obedience. John Wesley, 1703-1791, founder of the Methodist Church

I thank you, O God, for the relief and satisfaction of mind that come with the firm assurance that you govern the world; for the patience and resignation to your providence that are afforded as I reflect that even the tumultuous and irregular actions of the sinful are, nevertheless, under your direction, who are wise, good, and omnipotent, and have promised to make all things work together for good to those who love you. Susanna Wesley, 1669-1742, Mother of 19 children, including John Wesley

"Now thank we all our God, maker of Heaven and earth. . . while much is uncertain on a daily basis, we know who holds the future, and we know who holds our hand.

We look to You, O God, and lift our hearts in thankfulness to our great God.

Daily, we underestimate your power; often, we fail to note how you are working around us...

We thank you, Lord, that you would choose to involve us in your work; we thank you that indeed you cause all to work together for good to those who love you.

Thank you for life and breath and strength--we offer ourselves to you this day.  We choose to maintain thankfulness in our hearts, even as our hearts and minds get busy with holiday ‘doings’.  O God, thank you that it was in your plan from the beginning to give us Jesus, born to us in a manger." Amen and Amen.

Grace and Peace,

Christine

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