Hit the "pause" button

If you're like me, this time of year can make you feel like you're running too fast on a gerbil's wheel.  There's so much to do to celebrate the season!  Gifts to buy and wrap, parties to go to, cards to write... plus all the 'normal life' stuff heaped on.

Sometimes enjoying all the season has to offer... can get in the way of enjoying the season.

So tomorrow, I'm digging my advent wreath out of its box in the garage.  I'm setting it up on the kitchen table.  And I'm making sure that sometime in the midst of every day from December 1 until Christmas, I stop, sit down, light a candle, and take a moment to PAUSE...

and think about 'the real meaning of Christmas.'  No - not the 'real meaning' that network t.v. would have us believe.  The real meaning of Christmas is not about feeling good, or getting together with friends & family, or being thankful and sharing what you have, or watching Rudolph or the Grinch or It's a Wonderful Life.  Hey - all those things are good, and I will gladly embrace any and all of them.

But when I light that candle on the advent wreath, that's not what I'll be focusing on.   Instead, my mind will go to the amazing, awesome idea that the God of the Universe would love us so much that He would come on a rescue mission to this earth.  "The Word became Flesh" (in other words, God became flesh in the form of a tiny baby).  And then I'll ponder that He would entrust that rescue mission to a young couple named Mary and Joseph, who had no special gifts, training or resources (and were probably still young teenagers).  What if they had blown it?  The entire mission of the rescue of mankind would have been blown!  BUT... God gave them a mission and trusted them with it.

And after I've paused in awe, while the candle still burns, I'll allow my mind to go to another amazing truth:  God still entrusts regular people (you and me) with His mission.  And it's the same mission that He gave to Mary & Joseph:  Bring Jesus into this world.

SO.... I hope this season you'll spend time lighting some candles... or doing something that allows you to hit the 'pause' button and be in awe of the true meaning of Christmas...