Peace
This year I worked pretty hard to prepare our home for Christmas.
I brought out all the boxes of Christmas decorations two days after Thanksgiving, I used every last decoration in those 10 boxes, and we put up the absolute tallest and widest tree in the family room to fill the room with the beauty and magic of Christmas.
I knew I wanted the season of Advent to be memorable this year as well, so I work hard every few days researching and preparing the lessons for our family. I balanced the lessons with deep theological stuff like fulfillment of thousand year old prophesies about a "root" and "tender shoot" with fun exciting ones like learning the history and hidden Christian meaning behind "The 12 Days of Christmas".
I made my Christmas list back in October, planning how much I wanted to spend and ideas of what I could purchase for each person on my list.
It would seem I've got it all together.
But then December 10 flashes up on the calendar and I realize I have missed overseas shipping deadlines. I still have 5 packages to mail, two of which are waiting on something to get to me in order for me to send it on, I had to go buy boxes to ship items and as I was getting the last box ready to go, the tape ran out.
I move from shipper extraordinair to home-made treat creator. Bad call. Pecans taste wrong, I burn 3, yes 3 batches of chocolate that I was simply trying to melt. Who knew that stuff was so flammable? The party mix went awry and I haven't even started on cookies.
As I feverishly worked in the kitchen to make some sense of this madness I swing by the island, knock over an OPEN box of cereal I left on the counter from breakfast and cereal went flying across the floor. I dodged the rice chex all the way to the sink when that last one got underfoot and "crunch". Now I have cereal powder on the floor.
I made a cup of coffee, retrieved the broom and a trash bag to dispose of all my messes and found myself on the floor thinking "this Christmas is going ALL WRONG!"
I just wanted to make some homemade treats for friends, send packages, buy gifts and now I'm in a pile of cereal on the floor.
Before the thoughts could go any further I was quickly and I mean quickly directed to a scene that played out last night in my family room under that giant, magical, tree.
The lesson of the second Sunday of Advent is peace.
One of the definitions of peace is "freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions." We talked about God's promise that the world will have trouble, but not to worry because He has overcome the world.
My peace doesn't rest on the day going well, or everything lining up just right for my Christmas plans. My peace comes from the Prince of Peace himself, especially when things go wrong.
Maybe some of my hopes for this season are not going as planned but my hopes, and the desire of my heart to learn from Advent lessons is going completely right!
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10
I brought out all the boxes of Christmas decorations two days after Thanksgiving, I used every last decoration in those 10 boxes, and we put up the absolute tallest and widest tree in the family room to fill the room with the beauty and magic of Christmas.
I knew I wanted the season of Advent to be memorable this year as well, so I work hard every few days researching and preparing the lessons for our family. I balanced the lessons with deep theological stuff like fulfillment of thousand year old prophesies about a "root" and "tender shoot" with fun exciting ones like learning the history and hidden Christian meaning behind "The 12 Days of Christmas".
I made my Christmas list back in October, planning how much I wanted to spend and ideas of what I could purchase for each person on my list.
It would seem I've got it all together.
But then December 10 flashes up on the calendar and I realize I have missed overseas shipping deadlines. I still have 5 packages to mail, two of which are waiting on something to get to me in order for me to send it on, I had to go buy boxes to ship items and as I was getting the last box ready to go, the tape ran out.
I move from shipper extraordinair to home-made treat creator. Bad call. Pecans taste wrong, I burn 3, yes 3 batches of chocolate that I was simply trying to melt. Who knew that stuff was so flammable? The party mix went awry and I haven't even started on cookies.
As I feverishly worked in the kitchen to make some sense of this madness I swing by the island, knock over an OPEN box of cereal I left on the counter from breakfast and cereal went flying across the floor. I dodged the rice chex all the way to the sink when that last one got underfoot and "crunch". Now I have cereal powder on the floor.
I made a cup of coffee, retrieved the broom and a trash bag to dispose of all my messes and found myself on the floor thinking "this Christmas is going ALL WRONG!"
I just wanted to make some homemade treats for friends, send packages, buy gifts and now I'm in a pile of cereal on the floor.
Before the thoughts could go any further I was quickly and I mean quickly directed to a scene that played out last night in my family room under that giant, magical, tree.
The lesson of the second Sunday of Advent is peace.
One of the definitions of peace is "freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions." We talked about God's promise that the world will have trouble, but not to worry because He has overcome the world.
My peace doesn't rest on the day going well, or everything lining up just right for my Christmas plans. My peace comes from the Prince of Peace himself, especially when things go wrong.
Maybe some of my hopes for this season are not going as planned but my hopes, and the desire of my heart to learn from Advent lessons is going completely right!
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10
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