Coming Home
Here are a few hopefully thought-provoking anecdotes in regards to Christmas:
- Cleaning up meant finding tons of things to throw away. Four hours into cleaning and sorting out things to trash, donate, and keep, I suddenly felt overwhelmed by the realization of my family's extent of materialism. I had always considered ourselves to be quite frugal and, for the most part, we buy what we need. The problem is, our perception of what we need tends to be so skewed by our overpowering wants. So before we get carried away with our Christmas wish/shopping lists, we have to remind ourselves of what Christmas is really about. Although this seems cliché, particularly for church kids, a reminder couldn't hurt. It might even help to go through the stacks, piles, and closets in our homes and recognize how much we already have. On that note, my point is, "the magic of Christmas is not in the presents, but in His presence." This is Christmas (also see Luke 2:10-11).
- Christmas has snuck up on me. Granted, I spent a lot of time this past week watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix (I do not recommend this, as it absorbs your time like you could not imagine) and not really noticing the world around me as many friends were still going through finals. It was only last night when I began to crank out Christmas cards that I truly felt the spirit of Christmas. I tried to keep the list short - the list of people I'd write cards to, since they would have to be mailed out very soon. As my list of Christmas card recipients increased name by name, I felt overcome by God's goodness. On one hand, I was jokingly frustrated by my hand cramp from writing so much; on the other hand, I was tremendously compelled with gratitude for all of the people God has placed in my life to inspire, encourage, and love me for all that I am and am not, no matter how broken I may be - a love so symbolic of God's for us. Through Christmas card writing, I was reminded of this love and was able to express it ever so slightly. It was then that I finally began to feel Christmas in the air. Colorful lights, Christmas trees, and Costco's decked out Christmas items section are nothing compared to love. This is Christmas.
Besides Christmas, it's winter break, which could mean fun, rest, reunions, and, best of all, Flight retreat! These are all great things. However, for many of us, breaks are potential times of isolation, immorality, and idleness.*
- Isolation: This isn't just being physically alone. We can be spiritually isolated even in the midst of friends. With whom will you find community and accountability while at home?
- Immorality: Returning home could mean returning to ways of the past and possibly encountering more opportunities to sin, facing struggles we've been able to avoid while at school. What are practical ways to avoid this, and who can keep you accountable?
- Idleness: "I deserve a break." Yes. Yes, you do. Rest is necessary after a semester of working so hard at school and perhaps pulling those several all-nighters. But don't abandon your break to doing nothing. As my discipler says, "What starts as taking the first few days off can quickly turn into 3 weeks of having done nothing but watch Netflix. Idleness is a mirage - it seems like it will be good but leaves you feeling more tired/empty." So how can you be a good steward of the time that God has given you to rest over break?
Remember to be in the Word. Be in prayer. Be in community. Be a witness.
As Christmas nears, and this winter break comes and goes briskly (pun intended, in case you missed it), I pray that this season is filled with the greatest gift of all that is Jesus.
Have a great break!
Posts
