Thanksgiving, Christmas and then New Year's Day! Have you ever wondered who planned that? All those holidays and activities within a 5-6 week period is almost enough to roast a soul.
We feel the expectations of others as well as our own and each comes with its own weight. Who to please and who will be disappointed. Where to go and what to give-- it all seems to have a price tag. By the end of the holiday season, sometimes it feels as though we end up with an emotional debt as well as a financial one.
Let's slow down and spend some time reflecting. It strikes me as interesting that Thanksgiving is the first of the Holidays and I think it is with good reason that it should come before Christmas. We can express our dependence and our hope in the Giver and His grace, love and strength. We can take the time to express gratitude for what we have gained from the Lord in our lives, what we hold in Him, and the hope of which we will one day lay hold. These things we can truly be thankful for, because of one simple truth: He is Immanuel. God with us, no matter what; so we acknowledge His presence and His gifts for each stage of our lives.
Christmas is that time of the year when we remember that God chose not to whisper His love for us, but to shout it by sending His son. To not only show us how to live and to be with us as we live, but to set us free from sin so we can really live.
This year my Advent calendar will be filled with thanksgiving. I hope it will lead to a new year of deeper intimacy with my Lord, because of an awareness of His loving presence and acknowledging the gifts I receive from Him. Anyone want to join me?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
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