It was a Wednesday evening –
choir practice had run a little late as we were preparing for the Christmas
musical… it had been a glorious time of praise and preparation for the coming
performance. As I headed to the parking lot, I was filled with wonder as I hummed the songs we'd just sang. The closer I got to my car, the checking of my list of to do’s when I got
home ramped up. Maybe the girls would already be asleep, or at the very least in bed as Frank had taken them home earlier. I got in the car and quickly backed out of my
parking place. Something caught my eye up in the window … oh look, there's Ginger, that very special childcare provider. She was holding a sweet baby looking out into the starry sky… wow… its getting late, I realized. I
paused… just for a moment at that precious baby she was holding. As I watched them gazing out into the night, I wondered if she might be sharing about that starry night when Jesus was born. Maybe she was even gently singing Away in a Manger to that child she held with such tenderness.
Realizing I was wasting precious time, I continued backing out of my parking place...then with a slap in the face
reality – I slammed on my brake, almost sending myself through the front windshield...
That precious baby in the window...was MINE - waiting for me… and I forgot him… I almost
left him at church… I was his mother…
how could I possibly be so distracted that I forgot him… He defined me… I was
Clay’s mother – one of my most treasured roles… As you can imagine, I ran into the church, up the stairs with breakneck speed, to greet him with such excitement and joy. Thankfully, he was just a baby happy to see his (distraught) mother.
Friends, we can be and often are,
defined by the roles we play – daughter, sister, mother, wife, grandmother,
friend, employee, employer, girlfriend,
aunt, sister-in-law… and then all the added roles we take on… nurse,
chauffeur, room mother, birthday party planner, counselor, accountant, nutritionist….
We are in the midst of the celebration of the birth of our Savior, and so often, we are so busy in the season, that we, most unintentionally, leave Him at church.
You understand what I mean... we worship sincerely at church, and then the week begins... work, shopping, busyness, activities, responsibilities, school... It's not what we intended, we just allow circumstances to determine our day rather than first asking God to determine our response to our circumstances.
Often, we have arrived at December 26th, maybe the 27th, and talked seriously about the fact that next year we will do things differently.
So today... as you read this, will you join me in pausing for a moment to ask God to direct, to remind, to determine our focus in this day.
Simply following Hebrews 12:2
We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. (CEV)
Lysa Terkeurst writes of the prayer she begins her day with in her book, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God,
"God,
I want to see You.
God,
I want to hear You.
God,
I want to know You.
God,
I want to follow hard after you.
And even before I know what I will face today, I say yes to You.
Amen"