Christmas 2005

I almost lost complete sight of Christmas this year. For the few days leading up to the big day, I was very close to losing it... thinking about getting cards out, gifts bought and wrapped, the house organized, etc. My spirit was easily getting squashed when on Friday, I found out some friends of ours were going to shop for a family in town that needed some help. Rather than go last minute shopping for themselves, they wanted to stealthly drop a love gift off at this family's home so that THEY could go shopping for things they need. Suddenly, my attitude was turned around and everything changed. It's amazing how the commercialism and decentralization of Jesus can easily swallow us (or at least me) whole. These dear friends of ours have had quite a year in their own family. They have endured much anxiety, suffering and pain. However, they were able to step outside themselves and rather than spoil themselves because they felt they deserved it, took their resources and blessed another.

Psalm 34

Today I heard someone read an exerpt of Psalm 34 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034&version=47. I ended up reading the Psalm in its entirety and have decided that it is now my favorite Psalm. It's so full of the important stuff and also reminded me of some key principles to teach my kids. But then, I was challenged by the fact that I'm never going to be able to teach this to my kids so that it is fully impressed in their souls unless I believe it myself. "Taste and see that the LORD is good..." Him alone. Not all the stuff that comes from Him. This is what my friend challenged me with today and it's been on my mind ever since. Do I try to follow Jesus because I want to make sure I go to heaven? Or is it because I think my life will be better? Sure, it will but better isn't always easier. I was reminded at how lame I am at just sitting with Jesus and savoring who He is rather that what He can do for me. It's not often that I sit at the throne and just praise Him for who He is and how much I love Him and how loved I am by Him. If He were in my actual physical/tangible presence, it would be easy, right? So, then it's faith that is spurred on by spirit that must lure me into the presence of God. So have I really and truely tasted and seen that the Lord is good? I think I have. It's just that sometimes you forget what something tastes like when you eat it too fast. When you are so busy and preoccupied with what else is going on, you don't actually stop and let your tastebuds absorb all the flavors of what you are tasting. I remember the first time I went wine tasting in Napa Valley. The vintners would tell us about the wines and describe them with such accuracy using words like "cedary, fruity, sweet, dry, full bodied." They would then talk about the grapes used to make each particular wine. It would be so amazing to consistently stop for a few moments with Jesus while savoring Him so well that I would be able to describe what I am tasting... the complexity of His love, the divine aroma, how graceful and hearty He is. Another verse that speaks volumes to me is verse 5: "Those who look to him are radiant and their faces shall never be ashamed." When we look at Jesus and our eyes are truely fixed on Him, the joy is so over flowing that our faces become unbelievably radiant in a way that anything and every sin we've commited fades away because of His brilliant, unmatched glory. It's pretty amazing. I could go on and on about this Psalm. Living a life in pursuit of peace, learning how to truely fear the Lord and finally "the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Praise Jesus.