No cold blast of air swept through the door this morning as I let Sonny and Zora in. I missed it then remembered hearing the high for today is 70. That's not the kind of Christmas weather I had in mind; it's not the way it's supposed to be. I know Jesus was most likely born in warm weather and that the early Church moved the official celebration of His birthday to December 25th to outshine and combat some pagan holiday. I understand that tropical weather may more historically represent what happened on the road to Bethlehem and at the manger, but, please, don't confuse me with the facts. I want a traditional white Christmas this year because that's what the movies and Christmas cards depict as the best and most Christmassy feeling Christmas.
God's in constant process of transforming our thoughts from long-standing traditions, wrong assumptions, misguided ideas, misplaced values, brilliant marketing, and outright ignorance. He's our spiritual ECMO. An ECMO machine is now attached to five day old Baby Lyla, by two tubes. One delivers her dark red, oxygen-deficient blood to the device to receive oxygen before returning it to her tiny body in a lighter, fresher color. Amazing transformation! God calls us to be still in His Presence and deliver our thoughts to Him so He can shake loose our faulty ideas and replace them with His higher-than-the-heavens thoughts. He asks us to refrain from our ways to let Him teach us His deep and mysterious way. He asks us to accept unseasonably warm weather when we're set on snow.
Father, we have a Christmas list that looks a lot like everyone else's Christmas list: bake cookies, shop for gifts, decorate, wrap, cook, carol, watch certain movies, drink cocoa, gather with family and friends, give to others. Lord, Your way is better than ours and Your thoughts are higher so help us let You make this Christmas season what You want it to be. Transform our hearts and minds to willingly shed the distractions keeping us from communing with You. We want You to be first and foremost through the season and every day after that. Lord of lords and King of kings, thank You for taking the time to be with me.
In the Name of Jesus Whose birthday we celebrate, Whose life we want to imitate!
"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'" Isaiah 55:8-9
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2
"I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the Name of the LORD." Psalm 116:17
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