I had to give my first Christmas talk of the season on November 3. It was an odd 60 degree day in Illinois. Halloween candy was still fresh in my pantry. Thanksgiving hadn’t even crossed my mind yet, let alone Christmas, until I looked on my speaking schedule. My first thought was, How in the world am I going to give a sincere Christmas talk already? So I did what any girl would do. I made myself listen to Christmas music the whole way there.
It worked, but not in the way you might think. I was singing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – nothing. Silent Night – nothing. Then my favorite Christmas song came on – Amy Grant’s Welcome to Our World.
It starts like this…
Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
© Chris Rice
And I was swept away…taken in. Yes, that’s what I need. I don’t need the holiday spirit right this minute. I don’t need to feel like putting up my tree today. But I do need to hear from God. I want more of God.
There will be a list as long as my arm waiting for me in the weeks to come.You have your list accumulating too, I would bet.
And though I usually pray for peace…pray to get everything done and somehow still bring glory to God in the chaos of Christmas, this year, I have only one wish…more of God.
More of God in my friendships, more of God in my mothering, more of God in my marriage, more of God in my heart, more of God in my life, more of God in my quiet, more of God in my hurt, more of God in my heart.
Thanksgiving found me with my in-laws and because we had more time to linger than in typical years, I was able to take the time to listen to some of my 3-year-old nephew’s gems. He kept wanting to tell us something about his favorite TV show…that there was an episode of Tom & Jerry that he really loved. And this is how he proclaimed it…”I have better news…Tom & Jerry…food fight.” I have better news. So precious. So, so true. We have better news.
And what better time than right now to ask for more of that better news…more of God and His Son…and to receive Him into the parts of your soul that need Him the most?
So Merry Christmas.May God meet you just where you are.