Day 12:  Interrupted

This was originally posted on January 1, 2013.  I was over a week late with the 12th day devotional.  Read on to see why…

Okay, here’s the deal.  I began 12 Days of Christmas with wonderful plans.  And because I had promised to try to encourage those who read my blog to keep focused on the true meaning of Christmas, I myself did a better job this year on keeping that focus.  The best way to learn something is to try to teach it to someone else.  But then it happened.  The interruptions.  And so, my 12 Days of Christmas turned to 11 Days of Christmas.

What were those interruptions?  I could list quite a few–some were wonderful, joyful interruptions, some were troublesome interruptions, some were tragic interruptions.  After I posted Day 11 on 12 Days of Christmas, I settled in to a wonderful visit with our dear friends from Nashville.  The girls gathered at our house for lots of chocolate, coffee, funny movies, and good talks.  The boys gathered in the Delta for hunting and male bonding.  And it was a perfect visit up until the phone rang.  I knew something was wrong with the first word.  Something about the way he began, “Well, ummm, I have a problem.”  Details, unimportant now, came quickly and culminated with “eye injury”.

Our joyful interruption with dear friends turned to a troublesome interruption, which is still going on.  Bed rest and daily doctor appointments certainly interrupted the plans we had for our Christmas holiday.

And yet in the midst of it all, I have not once felt a pity party.  Why?  Because at the same time Mont’s accident occurred, a much more tragic interruption occurred.  And within minutes of the first phone call, I received a few more.  A tragic interruption in our small town left a community shocked and sad and a sweet family devastated.  A police officer known by so many as a kind, brave, hero was shot and killed in the aftermath of a bank robbery.  This brave individual I have known since he was a little boy and I continue to pray for and grieve for his family.

So as I sat with and nursed my patient this holiday, I had lots of time to think.  And what I kept thinking about over and over is this: these interruptions have a remedy.  And that remedy began at Christmas, when a tiny baby was born, for that baby is called Immanuel, God with us.

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).                                                                         Isaiah 7:14

It doesn’t matter whether the interruptions are filled with joy or sorrow, Jesus is still present, for He cannot deny His very name.  He is Immanuel, God with us.  Every day, in every situation.

I always feel a little strange on New Year’s Day.  It is a bit sad that another whole year has passed.  Did I make the most of it?

And it is a bit strange to wonder what joys and sorrows lay ahead in the coming months.  Yet all the while I know that Jesus is Immanuel and will be with me every step of the way.

This year, let’s embrace the joyful interruptions that God brings our way.  Even while writing this, I was presented with a joyful interruption that led to a movie date with my three-year-old princess.  Sadly, there have been times that I would have missed an opportunity like that for seeing it as an inconvenient interruption.

And this year, if troublesome or even tragic interruptions come your way, know that He is, and always will be, Immanuel.

The first day of Mont’s bed rest, we determined that 10 days of rest could actually be a blessing.  As we end those days, I see them as just that.  A blessed interruption.

No matter what, know that this year, and every year, God is with you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Update 2014:

Strange that a year has passed.  Mont’s eye injury is completely healed.  It has been a great year, filled with many wonderful, joyful changes.  Yes, there have been troublesome times, as well, but that is for another day.

I saw the family of the fallen police officer recently.  I have prayed for them so much lately, and I know that this year anniversary, along with the bitter/sweet of the Christmas season, has got to be tough.  Let’s don’t forget others, friends.  Let’s don’t forget that the holidays can be anything but joyous for some.  Let’s reach out with love and prayers and help.  And let’s pray that they can feel the presence of the One who can to heal the brokenhearted, the One who will never leave or forsake, the One who brings light and comfort in this dark world.  That is the real deal, folks.  That is why we celebrate Christmas.  Merry Christmas to each of you.

Update 2017:

Day 11:

When was the last time you heard some good news?  We hear a lot of bad news every time we turn on the television.  But sometimes there is that bright spot in the midst of it all– a winning team, a feel-good story, a new birth.

Good news makes us feel lighter and brighter.  Some good news can change the course of our life or the make-up of our families. God had some very good news to share and the first to hear were an unlikely group. They were a group of shepherds keeping watch over their sheep at night.  The shepherds were just common folk.

They did not have very much power.  They were poor. They worked hard and tended their sheep.

But an amazing thing happened.  They saw a great light in the sky.  It was a host of angels.  The glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were amazed at the light that shone brighter than any they had ever seen.  They stopped what they were doing and all stared at the light.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

                                                                                                                                                                                        Luke 2:13-20

 As I look at that passage, I see several actions on the part of these ordinary, uneducated shepherds.

They recognized the Light as a good thing.

They hurried to find the truth of what they heard–they dropped everything and went immediately to seek out this truth.

When they saw the truth, they spread the word.

That is how a great movement of God happens.  People are enlightened to the truth, they seek it out, and then they spread the word.

The shepherds celebrated when they heard the good news.  They rejoiced and ran to find Jesus.  That is how we should react too.  The bright light of glory of the Lord and the bright light of the star shining over the manger were symbolic that Jesus is the Light of the World.  He gives His Light to us, too, when He lives in us.  Matthew 5:16 tells us how we should handle the light He gives us.

                       “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Today, drop what you are doing and seek the truth in the real meaning of Christmas.  Celebrate the greatest news the world has ever heard.  And then go share it with others.

Update 2014:

I ran into an old friend yesterday.  This friend is not a believer.  I remember the day years ago when I realized two things:

1.  She was my friend and I loved her.

2.  Because she was my friend and I loved her, I had to speak truth to her.

I remember the conversation well, though the years have passed by swiftly.  We were chatting pleasantly about many different things when I felt that THING.  You know what I am talking about–the rapid heart beat, the racing thoughts, the knowledge that now was the time He wanted me to speak up, to bring it up though it would certainly be awkward.  I have learned over the years not to ignore the THING.  It is the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  And I have learned that obedience to that prompting is our only responsibility.  The outcome of our obedience is not our responsibility.

So, I spoke up.  I told her about my faith, about how I became convinced of the truth of the Bible and the truth of Christ.  It was pleasant enough.  I didn’t force it, but I did speak it.  She didn’t want the truth.

As I left her house that day, I felt two things:

1.  I felt sad that she did not understand, nor did she want to understand.

2.  I felt free.  I felt the freedom that comes from obeying God and trusting that He will do it; it is not up to me.  One man plants, the other one waters, but God causes the growth.  (1 Corinthians 3:7-9)  Maybe I planted that day.  I hope someone else has watered.

As we caught up briefly on the years that had passed, I still felt two things:

1.  She was still my friend and I loved her.

2.  Because she is my friend and I love her, I hope she will one day embrace the good news that the shepherds discovered, as well as the great joy that accompanies it.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Luke 2:8-11

Update 2017:

Day 10:

There is nothing like the joy of a child at Christmas.  I have had lots of experience watching that child-like wonder in all of my kids and even in myself.  I don’t want to lose that.  As I have gotten older, I have at times struggled to maintain the child-like wonder, the simplicity of the gospel, which began on that holy night long ago.  I get so caught up in “the list”.  You know the list I am talking about.  The one that is supposed to make us and everyone around us have a picture-perfect Christmas.  Only it doesn’t always feel like we thought it would.  It feels more like exhaustion.  It feels like stress.  It feels like I have overdone and overspent only to find that it didn’t lead to what I thought it would.

You have to understand that I am one who DOES Christmas, because I LOVE Christmas. I enjoy so many Christmas traditions and I try to do them all.  But years ago, I had a meltdown on Christmas night.  I thought to myself, “This is NOT the way it is supposed to be and I am NOT doing it like this again.”  That is when I began to cheat on my list.  When I felt myself leaning over into the realm of exhaustion and stress, instead of abiding in the realm of Joy-to-the-World and Peace-on-Earth, I just quit the list.  I have a beautiful stack of Christmas cards that simply need a family photo and a stamp.  They have been neatly stacked in my drawer for three years now.  I may leave them there yet another year, as I am creeping way to close to the exhaustion and stress realm.

Scripture tells us that a little child shall lead them.  Sometimes we need to stop and remember Christmas as a child does.  For this reason, the story below is written for children.  Become like a child for thirty seconds and enjoy a child-like view of Christmas.  And then, go share it with a child.  If you do, you will find that Joy-to-the-World and Peace-on-Earth realm once again.

There once was a young girl who lived long ago.

She was a kind, sweet girl.

She was not a fancy girl.

She was not a wealthy girl.

She was just a girl—

An ordinary girl.

There was only one thing to set her apart from the other girls.

She loved God with her whole heart.

One day, this ordinary girl woke up on what she thought was an ordinary day.

But it wasn’t an ordinary day.  It’s no ordinary day when an angel comes to visit.

And that is just what happened.

When the angel came, the girl was greatly troubled.  But the angel said what angels always say, “Do not be afraid.”  And he said even more than that.  He said she was highly favored by God and that the Lord was with her.  And then he said something that really shocked her.  He said she was going to have a baby.

What?  A baby? She wasn’t even married yet.  She was just a young girl.  She was engaged, because girls back then got engaged at a very young age—but to be a mother now?  What would her fiancé say?  What would her family say?  What would her friends say?

But the young girl didn’t think about those things for very long.  Instead, she began to think about what God had said.  And you know what she did? She surrendered.

She surrendered to God.  She said, “I am the Lord’s servant.  May it be to me as you have said.”

This young girl’s name was Mary.

Mary surrendered to God.  She said, “I am willing, Lord, even if it is hard, even if people don’t understand, and even if they make fun of me or reject me because I follow you.  I am willing because I love you, Lord.”

God knew she would surrender, because He could see her heart.  He knew that really, she was not an ordinary girl after all.

Mary surrendered to God’s plan because she trusted Him.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says:

Trust in the Lord:  Point up to the heavens

With all your heart:  Cover your heart with your hands

And lean not:  Lean to one side

On your own understanding:  Point to the side of your head

In all your ways:  Form a wide circle with both arms in front of you

Acknowledge Him:  Point up to the heavens

And He:  Point up to the heavens

Will make your paths straight:  Extend both arms out in front of your body, keeping them parallel to each other

Mary was very courageous.  At first, Mary was afraid, but being afraid doesn’t mean you don’t have courage.  Courage is when you trust God even though you are afraid. But instead of focusing on her fear, Mary accepted what the angel said with great joy. Having joy is a little bit like being happy.  However, there is a difference between being joyful and being happy.  Usually, when you are happy it is because everything is going just the way you want it to.  Happiness is based on circumstances.  But being joyful is an attitude of the heart.  Joy is something we find when we trust God.  Joy doesn’t depend on our circumstances. You can be joyful, even when things aren’t going as well as you would like.  You can choose joy by choosing to think positively and look for the good in every situation. Joy is something we find when we trust God.  Choose joy today.

J.O.Y. spells joy.  It can stand for Jesus-Others-Yourself.  We need to learn, just like Mary did, that the secret to true joy is to put Jesus first, then others, and then you last.  Mary thought of Jesus, the baby king to come.  Mary thought of others—how Jesus would be their Savior.  Mary thought of herself last.  Because she thought of Jesus first, then others, and then herself, by the time that she started to think of herself, God had changed her thoughts to see her circumstances through the eyes of God, instead of negatively through the eyes of the rest of the world.

Later, we find that Mary rejoices, full of joy, and sings, ‘Oh, how I praise the Lord.  How I rejoice in God my Savior!  For He took notice of His lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. For He, the Mighty One is holy, and He has done great things for me.” (Luke 1:47-49 NLT)

You see, true joy always stirs us to praise God.  And when we praise God, we are filled with joy!  Joys stirs up Praise, and Praise stirs up Joy.

Joy to the world!  The Lord has come!

Update 2017:

What are the things that get in the way of us remembering this transforming truth?  First thing that comes to my mind is simply, life.  You are all busy moms with little kids.  I still have little kids, but I also now have older kids that help me a great deal.  I remember what it is like to juggle little kids, try to make everything perfect and special.  We have dreams of being the perfect parent, and yet we aren’t, nor were we ever meant to be.  We only need to point to the Perfect Parent, our heavenly father.  Right now, I want you to think of that one holiday thing that is stressing you out.  Is it Christmas cards?  Don’t send them this year.  Is it lights in the trees in your front yard?  Don’t put them up.  Just say no.  Whatever it is that is causing you to “miss” Christmas and all its joy, just delete it this year.  I give you permission and the perspective of someone who has lived longer…there is always next year.  A few years ago, my stress was Christmas cards.  So, I stopped sending them.  Until this year.  It brought me joy not stress this year, so I picked that tradition back up.  Another year, it was the stress of buying so many gifts for so many children.  And I realized that I was just doing it for that experience of a room full of Christmas—a holiday picture I had conjured up in my mind.  So, I talked to the kids and told them that Jesus got three gifts, and they were also going to get three gifts.  But, though they may get less presents, we were going to experience Christmas more throughout the holiday season.  I typed out as many fun, easy to implement Christmas things to do—from drinking hot choc to making Christmas cards, to making soup and sharing with neighbors, to watching Frosty the Snowman.  I cut these written activities into strips and placed in a box and each day they drew from the box.  Best Christmas seasons don’t have to be complicated or stressful.  They don’t have to be dictated by what the world tells us it should all look like.  Eliminate and concentrate and you will be much more joyful and much less stressed out.