Christmas has arrived big style in my house this year! For the first time in my 33 years I am responsible for Christmas dinner and whats worse not just Christmas dinner but Christmas dinner with the mother in law.
I have made list after list, I have even googled Christmas dinner shopping lists, and its amazing what I have found. On one website I came across a step by step planner and a timetable on what needs to be done when. This disturbed me as the preparation and planning starts in November. Oh well if I live to tell the tale it will come in useful next year.
I do however have a nice timetable for the next five days, it includes the important things like getting my nails done and a visit to the hairdresser, need to get the priorities right. Somewhere this week I will fit in shopping, work and wrapping but if all goes pear shaped I will have nice nails and hair.
In the midst of all the panic, stress and, I hate to admit, the commercialism lies the reason for Christmas and at sometime this week I hope we reflect on the miracle of Christmas, the reason for Christmas. I wonder how much planning went into that first Christmas, I know there were no Google for lists that's for sure. But there was a plan, the greatest plan ever, a plan that began before the beginning of time and that ends in eternity. The plan to save us. A plan made by someone far greater than you or I, someone who doesn't crack under pressure but someone whose heart breaks when his children turn away. God had a plan he gave his son we know the story Jesus in a manger, the shepherds, the wise men, Mary, Joesph and it goes on. But Christmas doesn't end in the stable it just begins there.
I read Max Lucado's daily posting this morning, he talks about no room in the inn. There was no room for the couple and the baby maybe they felt like we do on Christmas Eve that mad rush, the panic. But what about the room in our lives, just how much room do we give to really think about the miracle of Christmas. we may not give God that much room in our busy lives but he has plenty of room for us, plenty of time and he waits.
So my challenge to myself this week is to make room...not just time for the shopping, the beautifying, but time for me and God, time to listen, time to be still. As in the carol Holy night Silent night..all is calm!
Think about it...
PS All may not be calm come Christmas day and I have to say I have a new found respect for my Mother...:-)
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