Sunday, Dec 1, 2024
“How High?”
Woohoo! Christmas arrives in just 24 days! Put on your sneakers and tie them tightly. Then, all at once, let’s Jump!
Let’s not kid ourselves. Most of us won’t Jump. Our bodies don’t work quite as well as a few years ago. Our backs, knees, ankles, and conventional wisdom would tell us to pretend and keep reading.
Do you remember the days when someone would say, “Jump,” and you could respond, “How High?” With no fear or anxiety, we could easily Jump. We used to Jump rope, Jump off the end of the couch, Jump out of trees, and Jump out of the car.
Jumping was fun because it was almost an automatic response to a simple command, thought, or desire. Yeah, those were the good ‘ol days.
Now, back to reality. Most of us will not Jump into Christmas this year. Too many things are on our plate, including natural disasters, overwhelming stress, and suffering. Some of us are just hoping (not hopping) to make it to Christmas in one piece, let alone take the full plunge into the Holiday Season.
If that includes you, or if you’re lucky enough just to be a little clogged up from a challenging year, consider this: God gets it. We didn’t need to be rescued from a bummer year or challenging phase of life. God knows that we need to be rescued every single moment of every day. The gift of Christmas is not just one day in the year. Christmas is God’s commitment to a suffering world, demonstrating to humankind that life can be beautiful, each and every day.
Oh, I still don’t expect anyone to Jump into Christmas. However, I’d like to try to finish 2024 with some positive excitement. I’m glad Christmas is at the conclusion of 2024. If anything can pull us out of the hole, it’s Christmas. God finished the most difficult part two thousand years ago. The rest of it is rather easy in comparison, as long as we’re willing to take a little risk and take the Jump.
Are you ready? One…Two…Three…Jump!
“Indeed, you light my lamp, Lord. My God illuminates the darkness around me. Indeed, with your help I can charge against an army; by my God’s power[i] I can jump over a wall.” (Psalm 18:28-29, NET).