Gift of Grace

 

Here we are, the last Advent Sunday – Christmas Eve!  It is a different Christmas in our household – one that is a bit quieter.  As our children have grown and have other families to visit during the holidays, we have made the arrangement as many families do to have one year on Christmas Day, and one year another day in December.  We had our family Christmas about a week ago, so this one will be a bit different.  Although I have struggled with this, I also realize the blessing in it.  The major chaos has been replaced with quiet – a time to reflect on the gifts our Jesus brought with him when he came to earth.

This week, the last Advent in this series, focuses on the Gift of Grace.  The gifts we reflected on this Advent season are punctuated with Hope, Love, Joy and Peace.  Yet, the Gift of Grace is the one, for me, that means the most.  Once I was able to wrap my head around the difference between grace and mercy (see last week’s post on mercy), I realized that grace is what is given from God that I don’t deserve.  That list is certainly lengthy as I walk through the blessings I have received despite who I am, a sinner. 

God has been good to us – to each of us.  He richly gives to us what we don’t deserve.  We find favor with God purely from faith.  As we believe who He is, He gives to us what each of us needs.  I will be honest, there have been times in my life that I wondered if God had grace upon me.  Life was difficult, very difficult.  Each aspect, whether it be love, health, or finances – all of them seemed to be far from what I needed.  As always, God knew better.  The gift of His blessings come in His time, not ours.  They come when we need it most, and He always provides.

The gift of grace is seen most in the greatest gift Jesus gave us that Christmas morn so long ago.  He was born to die – a death that erased our sins and saved us from a lifetime of eternal death.  With His birth, and subsequent death, He brought to us eternal life.  Without Jesus coming to earth, the salvation of the world would never have been given to us.  Numerous gifts Jesus brought with Him, but the greatest was the grace He bestowed on us for a lifetime with Him.    

On this Christmas Eve, may we celebrate Jesus’ birth – and the grace that He gave us – eternal salvation.  I wish you and your families a wonderful and blessed Christmas.  May God’s Gift of Grace be bestowed on all of us.  Merry Christmas!

Dearest Jesus, thank you for the Gift of Grace.  May we reflect and be eternally grateful for your grace that leads to our salvation.  Amen!

Gift of Mercy

 

Third Sunday in Advent – the time is flying by this Advent season!  Then again, I say that every Advent season!  As we continue our journey of some of the gifts Jesus brought to us, we certainly can’ t continue on that journey without stopping at mercy!  Mercy and grace always used to be ones that would cause me confusion.  Then I saw this simple explanation:

    Mercy is NOT getting something you deserve.   Grace is getting something you DON’T deserve.

When it comes to people in my life, I am grateful that there have been situations where they have shown me mercy.  Growing up, although I KNOW I did not look at it in such gratefulness at the time, I am certain my parents showed me mercy for not giving me something I so deeply deserved – like a punishment for something I did wrong.  Moving forward, there have also been times when I have been granted mercy with my spouse, my children, friends, and coworkers.  In all those cases, where I have not conducted myself in the way I should, there has been forgiveness and mercy.  I am so grateful for that.

There are also times when we should show mercy on ourselves.  Yes, looking in the mirror for mercy can be healing.  We may carry with us a sin (or many sins), that we cannot seem to shake.  We hold onto them, and they reside like boulders on our shoulders.  Having mercy upon ourselves provides us freedom from those sins and helps us to walk a bit more upright in forgiveness!

Forgiveness is at the heart of mercy and is certainly at the heart of Jesus.  He not only came to earth knowing He would die for our sins, but to take away our own punishment that we deserved.  He showed us, and continues to show us, mercy every day.  Look at your day – how many times does Jesus bestow mercy on you?  With my day it is too numerous to count.  Jesus provides me mercy in each situation – not just the small ones!  I deserve eternal damnation for the sins in my life, but Jesus freely gives the gift of forgiveness and shows me mercy in every case. 

It is hard to forgive or have mercy on another when they have done something wrong – especially against you!  Our natural tendency is to fight back with an “I’ll show them” attitude, providing some sort of punishment.   Maybe you have been harboring that for exceedingly long with a particular individual.  This Advent season let us look deep in our souls and provide another the gift of mercy – not giving them the cold shoulder or working hard to make their life miserable.  Free not only them, but yourself, and provide mercy.  Jesus gave gifts so that we could give those gifts to others.  It is time for us to give Jesus a reason to say, “Job well done my faithful servant.”  Give Mercy!

Dearest Jesus, thank you for your gift of mercy.  We certainly deserve eternal damnation for all we have done.  Yet, you show us mercy instead – forgiving our sins and not punishing us with hell for the sins we commit.  May we also have mercy on ourselves and others to continue the gift of mercy here on earth!  Amen.

Gift of Presence

 

The second week of Advent already!  Time is flying by this Christmas season.  With all the preparations and busy schedules, finding time to be alone in your own thoughts may seem rare.  Yet there are those who are only feeling a sense of loneliness this Christmas.  It may be that they miss a loved one who has passed.  They could be searching for that special someone in their lives.  Friendships may have been broken.  Hard times may be upon them, and they choose to retreat inward to solitude.  There are many reasons people may be lonely this Christmas.

Being lonely, even with a room full of people around you, can certainly reign true.  It could be that the people who surround you cannot see inside your heart, where a feeling of loneliness is residing.  Having lonely moments can be tough to work through.  Who really knows my pain?  Who can really see my despair?  Many times, people on earth CAN’T see all of that.

There is one who sees it all and is with us all, Jesus!  When He came to earth that Christmas morn, He brought with Him his everlasting presence!  Would I have loved to have been next to Jesus side during the time of His ministry?  YES!  Would I have enjoyed walking down a dirty path with him – in awe of it all?  YES!  What I need to remember, what WE need to remember, is that He is next to me, He is walking with me, with us!

Jesus gave us the gift of His presence – not with all that He did for us while on earth, but also His presence with us while he waits for us in heaven.  In moments of loneliness, there is one who can see our pain, one who can see our despair, and one who can take our loneliness away.  What a friend we have in Jesus!  He is with us not only for all the good in our lives, but more importantly, for all the dark moments as well.

I find this most comforting when the thoughts at night run through my mind.  So often, sleep is replaced with thoughts of what I should do that I’m not doing, how I could have done something differently and a sense of loneliness through it all.  This is when I run to Jesus.  I imagine him sitting next to me at my bedside, smiling at me, ensuring that I know he is always there for me – wherever my mind takes me. 

Jesus wants us to know that we are never alone.  Whatever our situation may be, Jesus is right there with us.  He is holding our hand, listening to our worries, providing support not from afar – but right next to us.  Christmas can be a time of loneliness.  Friends, if you find yourself there – go to the One that is always there for you, Jesus.  If you know someone who could use a friend, a person to listen, be present for them as Jesus is present to you.  Give them your time, hold their hand, listen to their worries, and provide support.  You may find Jesus is working through you as He gives you the gift of His presence!

Dearest Jesus, thank you for the gift of your presence.  During times of loneliness and despair, let us be reminded that we are never alone.  The gift of you being here for us always fills our hearts and souls.  

Gift of Rest

 

Welcome to Advent!  Preparing for Jesus’ birth comes in so many ways.  This year, my Advent series is going to focus on the gifts Jesus brought to us.  I agree – there are too many to focus on just four.  We certainly have the gifts of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, the gifts that represent the Advent candles.  This year I thought we could focus on others that elude us during the holiday season. 

I was chatting with my husband as I made my 15^th list of the holiday season, about how this holiday seems busier than some of the others we have had.  The cooking, the cleaning, the decorating, the shopping, on top of 10+ hour days at work has me just plum tired.  And we are only at the beginning of December!  Yet, we both agreed that although this year is a bit busier, we wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

This time of year busy seems to take over our lives.  The activities we put upon ourselves to ensure a successful holiday season can run the amuck.   It’s the perfect decorations, perfect gift searching, perfect menu choices, perfect outfit for the party, etc. that can lead us to a life of ‘busy’ for four to six weeks.  The big push is on for perfection!  Yes, I am right there with you.  

It is not only the activities that create busy, but also all the thoughts that run through our minds that can create busy and weary.  The anxiousness of forgetting something.  The thoughts of loved ones who may have health concerns – or your own health concerns!  Worry over financial struggles. 

All of the above can find us exhausted and burdened, especially during the holiday season.  Our ability to stop and enjoy eludes our days and our evenings are left with thoughts scrolling through our minds leaving sleep an act in futility.  My friends, as always, our answer to all of this comes in the One who came to us, Jesus!  His arrival on earth provided us with hope, joy, peace and love.  It also provided us with this message for rest. 

Whether it is during the holidays or any time of the year, our ability to rest can be difficult.  This passage always reminds me where I can rest, body and mind, in the arms of Jesus.  He is there to take the burden from me.  Can He make those Christmas cookies for me?  Maybe not, but He can certainly change my mindset from chore to fun.  And He always reminds me that perfection is NOT the name of the game, but love.  One of Jesus’ greatest gifts comes in taking our burdens – our worry, our anxiousness, our concerns.  He wants us to rest from those things and we can only rest when we go to Jesus.  Giving Jesus our burdens creates a space in our minds and hearts for Him!  Laying these burdens at His feet, exactly where He wants them, provides us the opportunity to see things more clearly. 

Jesus came to earth to give us the gift of rest – in body and mind.  During this Christmas season, let us seek out Jesus’ arms to fall into.  Give to Jesus our burdens so our focus can be on His love.  May this Advent bring you rest in Jesus.

Dearest Jesus, as we prepare for your birth this Advent, may we remember to rest our bodies and minds in your arms and your word.  Amen

Thanks for All

 

I’m sure many of us are thinking the same thought today, “I can’t believe Thanksgiving is only a few days away!”  I’m feeling the same sentiment.  Whether you are preparing for 50 people or 5, there is still preparation.   I find myself ensuring I have enough chairs, where is everyone going to sit, will I have enough turkey (and I better ensure I have enough stuffing my mom reminds me).  Yet, with all that preparation, I breathe and take a moment for thanks.

These verses from 1 Thessalonians have become some of my favorites.  “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  A few years ago, I made a point of spending time with these verses, understanding the power in these words.  At face value, one may say, “Doing that is easy enough!”  Maybe it is for some, but for me, I found myself falling short.  Let’s take each one.

Rejoice Always – When something wonderful happens, we can find ourselves celebrating for that which makes us happy.  In the moment, there can be joy and smiles, laughter, and happiness.  Do I share thanks with our Lord for those moments?  Does pride seep in and I forget where the goodness comes from?  Taking the time to rejoice always in good (and the tough) situations is what God wants from us.  He certainly deserves our rejoicing in him, always!

Pray Continually – I admire folks who have prayer journals and sit down with those journals daily to pray for those in need.  I’m not one of those folks.  My prayer time is erratic and many times I find my quiet prayer time to be in the car, driving to work in the morning.  It is one of the many things I fall short with and keep trying to improve.  One area I have gained in prayer is praying immediately.  What does that look like?  Taking a few moments to pray for that tough meeting I may have, or ensuring I lift someone up to God when I hear of a health situation or a difficult time for them.  Immediately talking to God has brought him into my life continuously throughout the day. 

Give Thanks in All Circumstances –To give thanks for all?  That’s much to ask from us humans, isn’t it?  Giving thanks to God for hurt and despair, for heartache and ill health, for sadness and loneliness can be a very tall order.  Why am I thanking God if I’m ill or lonely?  I struggled with that concept for a long time.  I realized that the glory may not come in the situation, but that I have a God I can go to, to talk with, who understands what I am dealing with.  Yes, little me among the billions of people, has God’s ear and God has my heart.  He knows when life is hard for us.  The more we go to him with, “God, I may not know your plan, but I know you are my God.  This road may be tough for me now, but I am thankful for what you are showing me and teaching me.”  It isn’t an easy prayer to say, especially if we are angry or in despair.  That is when God wants us to reach out to him.

Giving thanks for all we have, the good and the bad, the joy and the sadness, can seem difficult.  Friends, we have a God who understands us and wants us to come to him with it all.  He wants to help us get through the tough times with him by our side.  Revel in the knowledge that our God knows the plan for us.  He will be there for us if we go to him with a thankful heart.  Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Heavenly Father, we thank you for it all!  Help us to always come to you rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks in all circumstances!

List Interrupter

 

When my husband asked what I was doing on a sunny, chilly Saturday, I shared, “Making Lists!”  As he rolled his eyes, he was probably thinking, “That means I’ll receive my list as well!”  He wasn’t too far away with that thinking, but it IS getting to be that time of year, when there is lots to be done and what seems little time to do it!  Thereby, LISTS!  Many folks can walk through life and face what they have in front of them, dealing with it at that moment.  Me?  I can’t even do that on vacation, never mind everyday life.

I admire folks who take life one moment at a time.  I envision them seeing what the day may hold and living/reacting to whatever is in front of them.  There are no plans, no worry if the plan doesn’t happen, no scrambling around to ensure the plan is met.  I have tried that, even on a weekend vacation.  It makes me so uncomfortable!

Therefore, when it comes to the holiday season, the lists get ‘amped up’.  Planning things that need to get done, dinner menus, fun activities, etc.  The planning moves into doing and ensuring that everything that was carefully planned falls into precision execution.  Then, it happens!  The one thing that I DIDN’T plan for, the one thing I WASN’T counting on.  All the well-laid plans fall to the wayside.  After the moment of craziness (and usually a few tears in the bathroom), I emerge knowing God is talking to me!  It is in those moments I realize my plans may not be God’s plans.

 In that moment, Isaiah 55:8 rolls into my head, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declared the Lord.  That is so very true.  When my ways are the only ways, God steps in to remind me HIS ways are the only ways.  It is His purpose and His plans that I need to follow.  It is in these moments I have learned to gain perspective.  It is in these moments I have grown to lean on God.  It is in these moments I pray and say, “Show me what I need to do now.” 

I find that is when I learn the most from my Heavenly Father.  I believe that is when God teaches us the best!  When times are not what we expect, when life throws us the ‘list interrupter”, that is when God becomes front and center.  He teaches, comforts, guides, and loves us through those times.  His patience is so great as we are so weak.  When we can say, “Show me what I need to do,” he graciously leads us to His purpose, His plan.  It may seem so far astray from the journey we want to take, but with Him guiding us, as in Matthew 19:26, “…with God, all things are possible.”

My friends, as we move into this busy holiday season of Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas, let us breathe.  May the lists that I know all of you have not be our only guide.  May the Father himself reach out to remind us that His plans and His purpose are far greater than anything we may have in store.  Release the list to the moment and may we all learn what God may have in store for us!  It’s not easy, and it will take practice.  I’m going to work on this during the next few weeks.  Will you join me? 

Dearest Lord, move my eyes away from MY to-do’s and focus on YOUR to-do’s!  In your name we I pray, Amen!

Bare

 

Fall in New England is incredible.  As I’ve shared, each year, the leaves turn.  Some years the colors are more vibrant than others, but color arrives like a paintbrush over the trees.  As certain as we are that the leaves will turn, we are even more certain that the leaves will fall, which yields a much-dreaded chore for many folks, picking up the leaves.  My husband will find himself collecting the leaves multiple times throughout the week.  It is a job that is difficult to stay ahead of.  Some leaves will fall with the gentlest of breezes while others seem to need a tornado to even shift position. 

Eventually, the trees are bare.  Many of them are coming to the end of this season and soon all one will see is the silhouette of the branches.  Just as beautiful as the green leaves are in spring and the colorful leaves in autumn, the bare branches have a beauty all their own.  When I look at the tree with its dark bark against a pale blue sky, it reminds me of us and our journey in faith.

Our faith journey can find us in many different seasons.  When our journey is new, it can feel like spring – full of freshness.  In our season of summer, it can feel warm and restful, like a hug from the summer SON.  In autumn, our journey can feel colorful, filled with many different aspects of faith such as worship, servanthood, and study.  In winter, it can take on a sense of self-reflection, exposing our true selves and being ‘bare’ to Christ.

Let us not be confused, our Lord walks with us and sees us in all the seasons – long before we do!  That is especially the case in the winter season and baring ourselves to God.  Many times, this comes with a reflection on the sins we have committed throughout our lives – some small and some grave.  It may come with a reflection on how we may not have given as much of ourselves to Jesus as we wanted to – in worship, servanthood, or study.  It may also come with a reflection that no matter how much we try and learn from God’s word, we will only come away with a fragment of what is intended in the Good Book.

Yes, Jesus sees us bare long before we get there.  He sees our sins; He sees our shortcomings; He sees our doubts.  Our Lord, being the loving and merciful Lord that He is takes our exposure, the baring of ourselves in our winter season, and fills it with love, hope, joy, and grace.  Although we may look at our own bare silhouette and believe there is nothing, we can do to gain God’s love, he swoops in with the Good News that we are right!  There is nothing we can DO but believe!  If we believe, we gain his love, hope, joy, grace, and SALVATION! 

During the winter season, where we can feel as bare as the tree with no leaves, know that Jesus is right there to clothe us with righteousness and adorn us with the robe of His children.  So, bare yourself, self-reflect, and smile – for you are God’s child.

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the ability to bare ourselves to you, like a tree in winter, and helping us to know that no matter how bleak things may look, you are there to save us.  Amen!