Tuesday, December 6, 2011 - Less Glare, More Glow

   "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means "God with us."  

Matthew 1:23

    My "visions of sugarplums" never include the turmoil that often ends up making up most of the season.  I wonder how realistic Christmas cards would sell. Would you buy one depicting a family fighting while hanging lights on the tree? Or maybe you can better relate to a picture of an exhausted mom in the kitchen crying because all the heads fell off the gingerbread men an hour before her child's class party?   How about one with a shopper wandering down the aisle taking aspirin or of people playing chicken in the parking lot for a prime place;  (Insert your personal Christmas stressor here.)
     No thank you. Give me Thomas Kincaid, Currier and Ives, or Norman Rockwell because those may be the only glimpses I get this year of the snapshot moments I crave.   In my mind, I see me seated with my feet up by the fire, gazing at the Christmas tree fondly over a cup of hot chocolate or flavored coffee while pondering deep Christmas thoughts.  I see my family and me doing wonderful things for other people, calmly and with a deep love for all mankind.  Everything we eat is homemade and all our gifts are "exactly" what each recipient wanted.  We stop and listen to church bells, light candles and worship the Reason for the season.
     Every year we hope we'll capture from the chaos at least one profound and spiritual moment, but we can lose the goal in the frenzy of trying to do too much. We decorate the inside, outside and then dictate what the neighbors should do.  We're determined to get the kids everything on their lists, even items they saw advertised moments ago.  We go to every party and give to every cause. If a little is good, then more is better, right?

     No. We need fewer moments of stress and more of fireside rest,  quieter commercials and more content, shorter ribbons around more modest gifts, and less glare and more glow this Christmas.
     Listen: God is calling us to step away from the bustle to listen for the rustle of His Spirit. He's calling us to settle into His nest of holiness to warm and strengthen ourselves in His Presence. He whispers "I love you" and "Peace, be still."  He asks us to leave the market to kneel at the manger. Christ is born, Christmas is here. Let's not miss it this year.