Sunday, Nov 26, 2023
“Here We Go!”
Here we go! Christmas is on the way and we have lots to finish. Though we still have almost a month to prepare, many of us are already scrambling to make our lists and fill our calendars with due dates of projects and preparation.
Christmas is a gold mine for organized people. So are weddings. People who are organized thrive in this environment because it allows them to maximize their abilities. They have the month planned out in such detail that they’re already thinking about the outfits they’ll be wearing two or three weeks out.
For us procrastinators, the wait is much different. We never have enough time to get things done. If Christmas was 2 months away, we’d still find a way to be late as we scramble at the last minute.
God surely has a sense of humor; God throws all of us in the same world. Organizers and procrastinators will be at the same party. Someone will arrive before the doors open and another will arrive just before the doors close. God watches all of us, keenly interested in our topics of conversation, the choice of food on our plates, and the way we care for each other.
Oh, don’t worry; I’m not trying to make everyone paranoid by reminding us that God is watching. Instead, I’m trying to use it as encouragement. God made all of us. God knows what we look like, what we like to eat (and drink), and what we enjoy about the Holiday Season. God made each of us uniquely perfect and God didn’t do it as an experiment to see how we get along at Christmas parties. God did it because God is awesome. The LORD knows that diversity is better than everyone thinking the same way. God knows that there’s purpose for the person who arrives super-early, and the LORD also knows that in their rush, they left their purse at home. God also knows that the person who shows up to the party super late might be the person who needs to take everyone else home safely.
We all have purpose. Sure, we have plenty of weaknesses, but even those are blessed by the LORD. I invite you to countdown with me as we journey together the next 29 days. No matter your style – early or late – Christmas, like God, will be right on time. And, just like you, Christmas will be full of God’s purpose!
“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NRSV)