Focus

"UGH, I am so ready for Christmas to be OVER!" I have lost count of how many times I have heard that in passing this past week. One day when I was really remembering and missing my Gram, I half way agreed with that statement for a few moments, but then I remembered how much my Gram loved Christmas and how she would not want me to feel that way. More than that, it came to my mind how Christmas is about Christ, and if my focus for the season is on HIM, I shouldn't be dreading Christmas. If I stop, and focus, if I stop, and remember, if I stop, and worship, the correct perspective of Christmas is brought back to my mind and my heart. The night of Jesus' birth, the shepherds were told by the angels to go, and they left everything, their sheep which were their everything..their livelihood depended on these sheep, but they left to seek the newborn King, and to worship. Am I willing to do that, to leave all the hussle and bussle, all the craziness, the things I think need to be done for Christmas and stop and go straight to Christ and worship? It's tough with all that the world has made this 'holiday.' God never wanted it to turn to this circus that we as humans have made it, He didn't want us to dread the birthday of His Son, but to be still and know He is God. To be quiet and focus. To stop, and sit at His feet and to be thankful for the GIFT He gave us. Where's your focus as we wind down to Christmas? Are you one saying, I wish it was over, or are you saying thank you, thank you for the ultimate gift, of a Savior? The true spirit of Christmas should never be over, it should live in our hearts always.

John Eldredge wrote some great thoughts on Christmas and I hope take some time to read it. The link is on the side under blog list, or you can just click his name at the beginning of this sentence, and it will take you there.


In spite of the many benefits God has blessed us with, how many times do we complain about little difficulties and trials? We lose sight of the big picture and fail to appreciate the really important things. Just as we cannot benefit from a wrapped gift under a Christmas tree until we open it, so gratitude can be seen as our way of opening the gift of God's love intended by all the small and big events of our lives. Ronda De Sola Chervin