Hello everyone,
I trust everyone had a good Christmas, full of time with family, friends, and relatively good cheer. I say “relatively” there because sometimes Christmas can be stressful. There are a lot of strains on our time and energy, and a lot of pressure to do as much as possible in a very short period of time.
But it is all behind us now. It is the wind down time. The gifts are delivered and opened and appreciated. The food is eaten and leftovers are stored and frozen. The decorations are still up (as they should be for another week!) but maybe not turned on as often.
It is at this time we can reflect back on the past week, what went well, what we could do different for next year, and what to avoid like the plague for future reference. All in all, it was a good time, but now it is time to rest, relax, and be.
Sorta.
You know what I mean.
Here are the readings for next week:
Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12
In case you didn’t know what I meant before the break, I mean that there doesn’t ever seem to be time to rest. Even after all the major festivities are behind us, it seems like there are other things we need to do or think about or be concerned with. And the Magi are no exception. After the long travels and dealing with a king who might have made the hairs on the backs of their necks stand up, they still had to do stuff. After finding the toddler Jesus and giving him what they came to give, they still had to be careful on the way back home. And I have a feeling that even after they got home, it wasn’t like they were free of any and all responsibility. They were kings, after all (or so the song tells us they are).
But in the midst of it all, they found Jesus and their souls were uplifted. In spite of it all, they saw Jesus and offered tokens of their affection and felt joy. In all the backstabbing danger and suspicion and likely fatigue, they were able to worship Jesus and bask in his glory.
This tells me that no matter what you’re feeling, be it rested or not at all, calm or still stressed, relaxed or still busy, Jesus is with you, in the midst of whatever you’re going through, and worthy of praise. He might not be easy to spot and it might take some time to get there, but rest assured that he is there, his light shining in and through us, and showing us that we are valued, cherished, and loved.
While we might not have royalty coming to our doorsteps bearing gifts, we do have Jesus at the door to our hearts ready to show us all the possibilities and wonders of the gospel. May we embrace Jesus in our lives this season and always, that we might he him working and being present all around the world.
Have a great week everyone!