Christmas Madness

Can you feel it?

The crush of shopping that needs to get done, the fear of offending someone if we don't get to their Christmas party, the feeling in your feet that you get when you've been on them for like 10 hours doing stuff at the church and running around, just waiting for the 24th to get here because at least for a couple of days it will slow down. Ever wonder why they call it a Christmas "season". It feels like summer since I've had any rest.

It's no wonder the Psalmist prefaces knowing God with being still (Psalm 46:10). I wonder if I would appreciate if my wife was so busy on my birthday doing stuff for me or for my party that she had no time for me? I need to be still. I feel kind of like the squirmy kid at church who needs a Game Boy or a millions crayons and paper to keep me quiet.

But wouldn't true stillness be the absence of all those things? Isn't being still about needing nothing but Jesus. That if all I did was just stand perfectly straight for the next 2 hours or sit in a chair and stare at my fireplace or the view off my deck I could experience the presence of God as much as any other way with my own works.

When I think about this it reminds me of my Dad. When I go home and my Dad has something to do he wants me to come help. But when I go to help he usually doen't actually need my help. He just wants me to be there with him. I don't have to know how to fix what he's fixing or weld what he's welding, I just have to stand next to him and just be there. It means something to him.

Maybe God wants us to just stand next to him and be still. He'll do the work. He's the qualified one. We can just talk to him and then brag about how good our Dad is.

Wow. I'm tearing up.

Have a great Christmas season. Don't buy what the world is selling when it comes to being busy. Love your family. If there are little kids around you this Christmas, get down on the floor and play with them and their toys. Love you all!!!!!