It’s that time of year once again…
The time when resolutions abound, as folks pledge to lose weight; have a better attitude; be diligent in Bible reading and prayer; spend more time with the family; give while the spirit if giving is on them; eat the ‘right’ foods; quit all disgusting habits; exercise; remove all clutter and distractions from their lives; and more…
Some may think that it is silly and even wrong to make such resolutions, for though the intentions of the individual may be all so sincere, before the new year can even begin, all good intentions usually fly out the window.
However, it is my humble, and admittedly biased opinion, that resolutions are a good thing, if that for only for a few moments it causes us to think on ways of improving our personal and spiritual lives…that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing to me.
And though the saying goes that “the road to yon lower regions is paved with good intentions,” this still should not prevent us from at least looking for ways to a better and more fulfilling life.
It occurred to me the other day that my New Year resolution will be based on a familiar portion of the Word, The 23rd Psalm. The Living Bible is my favorite rendering of these passages…
Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need!
He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He gives me new strength. He helps me do what honors him the most.
And there we have it…my New Year resolution is simply and clearly to do what honors Him the most.
It is not a goal I cannot attain. The choice is mine to make, whether to do what honors Him the most or to follow my own will and way.
When the waitress gets my order completely wrong, and when she neglects to refill my glass of Coke, without being asked; when my little world is turned upside down and today doesn’t seem to be ‘my’ day; when the attitudes of the crowd I am with scream for me to return their ugliness with an even worse attitude, there are questions to be asked…
At the height of whatever situation, am I allowing the abiding Spirit of Christ to help me to do what honors Him the most?
Is the Lord pleased with my conversation, or have my words hindered His work and will?
Does my attitude gender peace or strife?
If the Lord is truly my Shepherd, and I have everything I need…if He really lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside quiet streams…and if He really does give me strength, restoring my failing health, am I honoring Him in all I do and say?
There is a quote that I love, and I have decided that this shall be my mantra for 2011...
Every thing we do - every conversation, every action, every attitude, either adorn or obscure the Gospel.
My hope is that you make this your prayer this year…
Lord, let my every word, action, thought, and attitude adorn your precious Gospel, and may the world see the beauty of Your purpose in me!
Have a blessed New Year, doing what honors Him the most!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Unforgettable
There used to be a regular feature in the old Reader’s Digest periodical titled My Most Unforgettable Character. It was my favorite part of the magazine and the first thing I read when it came each month.
But in the last two weeks I have wondered if the folks who sent in their article had to think about it long and hard before they chose their most unforgettable character. Perhaps they pondered it over in their mind, finally coming up with interesting stories and anecdotes.
Well, if anyone should ever ask who my most unforgettable character is, the answer would come quickly and sincerely. I don’t have to sit and conjure up funny stories to hold your attention, for his voice is forever with me, and my memory is long...very long.
My most unforgettable character was not well known, as far as worldly recognition goes. Barbara Walters wouldn’t think to mention his name on her yearly broadcast of The Year’s 10 Most Fascinating People and Larry King never called him for an interview.
He never sang for the President or preached in a cathedral. He never made the Forbes 400 list of wealthy men in America. As a matter of fact, if he had a dollar in his pocket, he would spend it on you or me.
It was said at his passing that “he was the most under appreciated man” they had ever known. I believe that is true, but it was mainly because he wasn’t seeking appreciation or accolades. He was just being himself…a gentle giant, full of laughter and love.
A friend of his said that he “pushed others to the front of the line when he should have been the one leading the way.” It was because he wasn’t interested in applause for service well done or titles and positions of honor. His joy was in seeing others climb to the top. He chose to influence by standing in the background, mentoring in quietness and humility.
He served so discreetly, the right hand never really knew what the left hand was doing.
And though not a flashy dude, when he walked…let me rephrase, when he burst into a room, he had our undivided attention. He made everyone feel at home in his presence, and never discriminated…he would tease children and seniors, laity and bishops. No one was off limits, yet he always showed the utmost respect.
He was forever touching somebody, and his hugs were lethal. He would sit down beside me and kinda lean over, with his big hairy arms smothering me…I’d say, “Boy get off of me…you are so hot!!” But he didn’t care, and he would keep on hugging and laughing.
One of a kind…that was my brother, David.
In the past few days, I have tried to find the words to describe who he was. Please forgive a loving sister for viewing him through 'Rose colored glasses'…
Peacemaker… He longed for peace at every level of his life. David couldn’t stand turmoil and strife.
Servant… He learned the gift of serving from our parents, but David took it to the extreme. He would give when he did not have it to give. Though tired from working two, and sometimes three jobs, He continued to work at the church and in prison ministry because it was his passion.
Loyal… David stood shoulder to shoulder with his pastor, even when it was unpopular to do so, and he loved the pastor’s family as his own.
Funnyman… His humor would surface it the oddest moments, but it would always be when it was needed most…
For example, when our nephew, John, passed, David broke the grief stricken silence with a corny joke. It relieved the tension, if only for a moment, and that, of course, was his goal.
Another time, as we stood by the grave of two dear friends, a teenaged David was asked how he was doing. David’s reply to the elder was, “I’m okay…I’m just looking for a church to take over!”
As an alternate juror, David wasn’t allowed an opinion…until they asked for one. He entertained a room full of jurors, so much so that the Bailiff came to the door to see what the noise was all about. After they rendered their verdict, the jurors asked the judge if they could have a reunion…several of them did meet later for dinner.
David held the attention of young men waiting for ministerial license so well, that when his older brother said they had to leave and get on the road, the preachers said, “You can go, but leave him here with us!”
At his home going service, someone told me how she always asked to work with David at the polls on election day…polling can be so boring, but not when one worked with my brother. This past election, when his ‘dance card’ was full, the woman told her husband that she would not volunteer without working with David.
Unforgettable, in every way…
Husband and father…He loved his wife and children very much. Kingdom work is a delicate thing, and family life equally as delicate. Finding the balance between the two is tricky, and not always attained. In hindsight, I’m not sure if he ever found that place of perfect balance, but I know he tried…in his own way, I believe he tried with all of his heart.
Son… When our dad went in for the diagnosis we all dreaded to hear, David was there. He used up all of his vacation time that year, but spent it at home with his dad. His devotion for our mom never wavered, and I know she would say, “David was a good son!”
Brother… Always available, whatever the need. When dad was in the hospital and I fell on the ice, breaking an ankle, David was here before nightfall. He stayed several days, at my beck and call, and laughed about my ‘demands’ for years afterward…of course, I think he exaggerated just a tad in the retelling. And when our sister in law’s father passed, David drove four hours for a one hour service, then drove back home. He made us laugh and he made us cry…he was uniquely David.
Brother in law… David's sisters in law loved him as a brother, and their grief is as real and heart wrenching as any sibling.
Uncle… His nieces and nephews were all there and wept as though he had been their own father. His love for them was returned 100 fold, and then some.
Everybody’s kin…Oh, my word! David had more brothers and cousins than the Kennedy’s!
But he could not have loved Dan & Tarrah Mundy, Reg & Tammi Nevitt, Luke & TJ St. Clair, Dan Hill, Brian Spooner, America Nevitt, and Shayla Bailey Adams any more than if they had been blood. That was SO David. He just simply loved, and they all loved him!
Pastor… That is what those he ministered to called him, “Pastor!” In 18 + years of teaching and preaching to men confined to prison, David probably saw every thing imaginable and heard stories beyond description. But he loved what he did and he made a difference. There are men, free though behind bars, with many more on the outside, living and preaching the gospel, all because my brother showed them the Way!
And now he is gone…
There is a hole in my heart which can never be filled, but I rest in the assurance that one day, and it can’t be too long now, we will meet again!
But in the last two weeks I have wondered if the folks who sent in their article had to think about it long and hard before they chose their most unforgettable character. Perhaps they pondered it over in their mind, finally coming up with interesting stories and anecdotes.
Well, if anyone should ever ask who my most unforgettable character is, the answer would come quickly and sincerely. I don’t have to sit and conjure up funny stories to hold your attention, for his voice is forever with me, and my memory is long...very long.
My most unforgettable character was not well known, as far as worldly recognition goes. Barbara Walters wouldn’t think to mention his name on her yearly broadcast of The Year’s 10 Most Fascinating People and Larry King never called him for an interview.
He never sang for the President or preached in a cathedral. He never made the Forbes 400 list of wealthy men in America. As a matter of fact, if he had a dollar in his pocket, he would spend it on you or me.
It was said at his passing that “he was the most under appreciated man” they had ever known. I believe that is true, but it was mainly because he wasn’t seeking appreciation or accolades. He was just being himself…a gentle giant, full of laughter and love.
A friend of his said that he “pushed others to the front of the line when he should have been the one leading the way.” It was because he wasn’t interested in applause for service well done or titles and positions of honor. His joy was in seeing others climb to the top. He chose to influence by standing in the background, mentoring in quietness and humility.
He served so discreetly, the right hand never really knew what the left hand was doing.
And though not a flashy dude, when he walked…let me rephrase, when he burst into a room, he had our undivided attention. He made everyone feel at home in his presence, and never discriminated…he would tease children and seniors, laity and bishops. No one was off limits, yet he always showed the utmost respect.
He was forever touching somebody, and his hugs were lethal. He would sit down beside me and kinda lean over, with his big hairy arms smothering me…I’d say, “Boy get off of me…you are so hot!!” But he didn’t care, and he would keep on hugging and laughing.
One of a kind…that was my brother, David.
In the past few days, I have tried to find the words to describe who he was. Please forgive a loving sister for viewing him through 'Rose colored glasses'…
Peacemaker… He longed for peace at every level of his life. David couldn’t stand turmoil and strife.
Servant… He learned the gift of serving from our parents, but David took it to the extreme. He would give when he did not have it to give. Though tired from working two, and sometimes three jobs, He continued to work at the church and in prison ministry because it was his passion.
Loyal… David stood shoulder to shoulder with his pastor, even when it was unpopular to do so, and he loved the pastor’s family as his own.
Funnyman… His humor would surface it the oddest moments, but it would always be when it was needed most…
For example, when our nephew, John, passed, David broke the grief stricken silence with a corny joke. It relieved the tension, if only for a moment, and that, of course, was his goal.
Another time, as we stood by the grave of two dear friends, a teenaged David was asked how he was doing. David’s reply to the elder was, “I’m okay…I’m just looking for a church to take over!”
As an alternate juror, David wasn’t allowed an opinion…until they asked for one. He entertained a room full of jurors, so much so that the Bailiff came to the door to see what the noise was all about. After they rendered their verdict, the jurors asked the judge if they could have a reunion…several of them did meet later for dinner.
David held the attention of young men waiting for ministerial license so well, that when his older brother said they had to leave and get on the road, the preachers said, “You can go, but leave him here with us!”
At his home going service, someone told me how she always asked to work with David at the polls on election day…polling can be so boring, but not when one worked with my brother. This past election, when his ‘dance card’ was full, the woman told her husband that she would not volunteer without working with David.
Unforgettable, in every way…
Husband and father…He loved his wife and children very much. Kingdom work is a delicate thing, and family life equally as delicate. Finding the balance between the two is tricky, and not always attained. In hindsight, I’m not sure if he ever found that place of perfect balance, but I know he tried…in his own way, I believe he tried with all of his heart.
Son… When our dad went in for the diagnosis we all dreaded to hear, David was there. He used up all of his vacation time that year, but spent it at home with his dad. His devotion for our mom never wavered, and I know she would say, “David was a good son!”
Brother… Always available, whatever the need. When dad was in the hospital and I fell on the ice, breaking an ankle, David was here before nightfall. He stayed several days, at my beck and call, and laughed about my ‘demands’ for years afterward…of course, I think he exaggerated just a tad in the retelling. And when our sister in law’s father passed, David drove four hours for a one hour service, then drove back home. He made us laugh and he made us cry…he was uniquely David.
Brother in law… David's sisters in law loved him as a brother, and their grief is as real and heart wrenching as any sibling.
Uncle… His nieces and nephews were all there and wept as though he had been their own father. His love for them was returned 100 fold, and then some.
Everybody’s kin…Oh, my word! David had more brothers and cousins than the Kennedy’s!
But he could not have loved Dan & Tarrah Mundy, Reg & Tammi Nevitt, Luke & TJ St. Clair, Dan Hill, Brian Spooner, America Nevitt, and Shayla Bailey Adams any more than if they had been blood. That was SO David. He just simply loved, and they all loved him!
Pastor… That is what those he ministered to called him, “Pastor!” In 18 + years of teaching and preaching to men confined to prison, David probably saw every thing imaginable and heard stories beyond description. But he loved what he did and he made a difference. There are men, free though behind bars, with many more on the outside, living and preaching the gospel, all because my brother showed them the Way!
And now he is gone…
There is a hole in my heart which can never be filled, but I rest in the assurance that one day, and it can’t be too long now, we will meet again!
Unforgettable in every way
And forever more, that's how you'll stay
And forever more, that's how you'll stay
Thursday, December 9, 2010
No Room
O the joy of Christmas!
Christmas trees, making a list and checking it twice, giving gifts to those near and dear, eggnog (for those who like it), fruitcake (ummm…no!), family, Nativity scenes, caroling, ringing of bells, cards in the mail, crowded stores with endless Christmas music, Santa, elves, Rudolf and the sleigh, snow...
Charlie Brown’s one-bulb tree (I have one and love it!), lights and tinsel, frosted sugar cookies (no sprinkles for me, thanks), the smell of evergreen, Christmas themed movies replayed again and again, hearing Nat Cole’s The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting…), Bing Crosby crooning White Christmas, the smell of honey baked ham (and the taste, too!)…
It all signals one thing…Christmastime is here!
But of all of the things listed above that ring of Christmas, I would dare say, the most overlooked display of the season is the Nativity. It is possible to look at it, and think, How sweet and precious that Nativity scene is! But in our excitement of Christmas, perhaps we miss how it really was.
Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale Of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” and it was no different on that night in Bethlehem.
Without question, it was the best of times because it was the birth of our Lord. To think that the God of all creation would prepare Himself and body and dwell among us…marvelous is He!
But it was also the worst of times…
To begin with, it was not the silent night we so fondly sing about, for the village of Bethlehem was far from quiet on that holy night.
There was the crush of people weary of travel, as the decree came that all the known world should return to their place of birth to be taxed and counted in the census…
Perhaps many unable to find accommodations ended up sleeping on the streets with the camels and donkeys…
The cry of merchants surely could be heard well into the wee hours of the morning, hoping to make an extra dollar with the need of the hungry masses…
Little children were crying out in the night for their parents attention…
And into this overcrowded and noisy situation we find a man and his very young wife, great with child.
Luke writes that there was “no room for them in the inn,” and we have always assumed he was speaking of a hotel of some sort. Certainly not a Ramada type inn of bed, bath, and cable television, but a simple place of respite from travel. Probably a bed, wash basin, and not much else.
However, the Greek word for inn used in Luke’s telling of the birth of Christ is not the same Greek word he used in relating the story of the Samaritan taking the injured man to an inn (Luke 10:34).
Luke’s actual words were, She wrapped Him in cloth and laid Him in a corn crib, as there was no room in the guest room (Luke 2:7).
In other words, it leaves us to wonder if perhaps Luke wasn't referring to an inn at all, and merely that Joseph and Mary were hoping to stay with family or friends...for whatever reason, the guest room was already taken, so there was no room.
We will never know the real reason there was no room, but let us ‘reason’ it out…
Perhaps family members were already booked to the max and simply could not find even a corner for another boarder.
This idea is so foreign to me. Coming from a large family, I know that there are times family come to town, and if there is no room, we make room. Not so in Bethlehem, or so it seems.
Another possibility is that just maybe they were shunning them because Mary was not married to Joseph at the time she found she was pregnant. And though married when they arrived in Bethlehem, that Joseph would not publicly humiliate or judge her certainly would not sit well with those who closely followed the letter of the Law.
Yet not wishing to leave Mary to deliver her child by the side of the road, someone offered their stable…
It was not a barn with a semi-clean loft or the quaint open-air corral that we see depicted, but was a dark, damp cave where animals were kept. Can you imagine the smell of such an enclosed place?
I am the question girl...
Did they even have a candle or lantern? Did they have their own blankets or were they offered one from their family? Did someone bring them a basin and clean linen or did Joseph have to ‘make do’ with the water he carried with him on the journey? Did anyone assist him or was Joseph left alone to help Mary bring the Savior into the world?
Though her soul had magnified the Lord with the knowledge of what had happened to her, Mary was just a young girl. So, even though she and Joseph had heard the word of the Lord from the angel, one wonders what thoughts were going through their minds? Where was her mother? Why did no one come to their aid? I cannot imagine how they felt…perhaps Mary thought, At least it is a covered and private place.
And into this place of most unsatisfactory conditions, the King of Kings was born!
Mary wrapped her baby in strips of cloth, as was the custom, in order to keep the infant’s limbs straight. She then laid Him in a manger…a corn crib…a feeding trough for animals. Not quite what the man had in mind when he built it, and certainly not an appropriate resting place for a newborn, not to mention our Lord.
But so it was that a babe was born, and they called His Name Jesus…
His only visitors that night were men of a most lowly position in society. They were humble shepherds, keeping watch over their flock. Historians believe that by reason of being yet in the field with the sheep, it had to have been between April and September when the angels of the Lord appeared unto them bringing glad tidings that the Savior was born.
The Scriptures do not say that they followed a star, so one has to wonder if the star was merely a sign for the Magi to follow two years later, when they found the young child and his parents in their home (Matthew 2:11 ).
What is known is that somehow they found Mary, Joseph and the babe in the stable. When the shepherds saw all that was told by the angels, they told it to all around, but the reaction of the people was one of wonder and not worship. It was one continuous display of no room on that wonderful night…
As someone said long ago, “And so it is today…no room!”
There is room for “houses, land, and pleasure.” We make room for gadgets and entertainment…room for people and distractions of every sort…room for chatter and nonsense…room for working and relaxation…room for grief and regret…room for family and friends…room for bitterness and strife…room for loving and being loved…room for personal agenda and programmed performance…room for wasted moments.
“But for the One who reigns forever, there’s no room today…”
People's lives and hearts can become so overcrowded with the clutter of this present world that there is no room left for Jesus.
And for some, it is not so much the general clutter, as it is the circumstances of life. As I was reminded in Sunday School recently, not everyone is full of the joy of the season. The hustle and bustle, not to mention the expense, is not so joyous for those without a job.
Others dread this time because of memories of Christmases past. Perhaps they have gone through a divorce, or have suffered the emptiness the death of a loved one can bring. Even in a crowded mall or a festive dining room, the pangs of loneliness can be a terrible thing.
All of this, and more, can crowd our hearts so that there is no room for the One who knows us best and loves us most.
But please allow me today to encourage your heart. Let us turn everything over into the loving hands of the Master. He is asking us to lay it all down at His feet, and simply let Him reign.
He who sees and knows all recognizes our pain and disappointment. He is there in the midst of our financial woes. He feels our grief and despair. He is here!
Please make room for Jesus today, not just in this time of celebration of His birth, but for always. May the Peace and Joy of Christmas dwell in you, and may you rejoice with exceeding great joy!!
Christmas trees, making a list and checking it twice, giving gifts to those near and dear, eggnog (for those who like it), fruitcake (ummm…no!), family, Nativity scenes, caroling, ringing of bells, cards in the mail, crowded stores with endless Christmas music, Santa, elves, Rudolf and the sleigh, snow...
Charlie Brown’s one-bulb tree (I have one and love it!), lights and tinsel, frosted sugar cookies (no sprinkles for me, thanks), the smell of evergreen, Christmas themed movies replayed again and again, hearing Nat Cole’s The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting…), Bing Crosby crooning White Christmas, the smell of honey baked ham (and the taste, too!)…
It all signals one thing…Christmastime is here!
But of all of the things listed above that ring of Christmas, I would dare say, the most overlooked display of the season is the Nativity. It is possible to look at it, and think, How sweet and precious that Nativity scene is! But in our excitement of Christmas, perhaps we miss how it really was.
Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale Of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” and it was no different on that night in Bethlehem.
Without question, it was the best of times because it was the birth of our Lord. To think that the God of all creation would prepare Himself and body and dwell among us…marvelous is He!
But it was also the worst of times…
To begin with, it was not the silent night we so fondly sing about, for the village of Bethlehem was far from quiet on that holy night.
There was the crush of people weary of travel, as the decree came that all the known world should return to their place of birth to be taxed and counted in the census…
Perhaps many unable to find accommodations ended up sleeping on the streets with the camels and donkeys…
The cry of merchants surely could be heard well into the wee hours of the morning, hoping to make an extra dollar with the need of the hungry masses…
Little children were crying out in the night for their parents attention…
And into this overcrowded and noisy situation we find a man and his very young wife, great with child.
Luke writes that there was “no room for them in the inn,” and we have always assumed he was speaking of a hotel of some sort. Certainly not a Ramada type inn of bed, bath, and cable television, but a simple place of respite from travel. Probably a bed, wash basin, and not much else.
However, the Greek word for inn used in Luke’s telling of the birth of Christ is not the same Greek word he used in relating the story of the Samaritan taking the injured man to an inn (Luke 10:34).
Luke’s actual words were, She wrapped Him in cloth and laid Him in a corn crib, as there was no room in the guest room (Luke 2:7).
In other words, it leaves us to wonder if perhaps Luke wasn't referring to an inn at all, and merely that Joseph and Mary were hoping to stay with family or friends...for whatever reason, the guest room was already taken, so there was no room.
We will never know the real reason there was no room, but let us ‘reason’ it out…
Perhaps family members were already booked to the max and simply could not find even a corner for another boarder.
This idea is so foreign to me. Coming from a large family, I know that there are times family come to town, and if there is no room, we make room. Not so in Bethlehem, or so it seems.
Another possibility is that just maybe they were shunning them because Mary was not married to Joseph at the time she found she was pregnant. And though married when they arrived in Bethlehem, that Joseph would not publicly humiliate or judge her certainly would not sit well with those who closely followed the letter of the Law.
Yet not wishing to leave Mary to deliver her child by the side of the road, someone offered their stable…
It was not a barn with a semi-clean loft or the quaint open-air corral that we see depicted, but was a dark, damp cave where animals were kept. Can you imagine the smell of such an enclosed place?
I am the question girl...
Did they even have a candle or lantern? Did they have their own blankets or were they offered one from their family? Did someone bring them a basin and clean linen or did Joseph have to ‘make do’ with the water he carried with him on the journey? Did anyone assist him or was Joseph left alone to help Mary bring the Savior into the world?
Though her soul had magnified the Lord with the knowledge of what had happened to her, Mary was just a young girl. So, even though she and Joseph had heard the word of the Lord from the angel, one wonders what thoughts were going through their minds? Where was her mother? Why did no one come to their aid? I cannot imagine how they felt…perhaps Mary thought, At least it is a covered and private place.
And into this place of most unsatisfactory conditions, the King of Kings was born!
Mary wrapped her baby in strips of cloth, as was the custom, in order to keep the infant’s limbs straight. She then laid Him in a manger…a corn crib…a feeding trough for animals. Not quite what the man had in mind when he built it, and certainly not an appropriate resting place for a newborn, not to mention our Lord.
But so it was that a babe was born, and they called His Name Jesus…
His only visitors that night were men of a most lowly position in society. They were humble shepherds, keeping watch over their flock. Historians believe that by reason of being yet in the field with the sheep, it had to have been between April and September when the angels of the Lord appeared unto them bringing glad tidings that the Savior was born.
The Scriptures do not say that they followed a star, so one has to wonder if the star was merely a sign for the Magi to follow two years later, when they found the young child and his parents in their home (Matthew 2:11 ).
What is known is that somehow they found Mary, Joseph and the babe in the stable. When the shepherds saw all that was told by the angels, they told it to all around, but the reaction of the people was one of wonder and not worship. It was one continuous display of no room on that wonderful night…
As someone said long ago, “And so it is today…no room!”
There is room for “houses, land, and pleasure.” We make room for gadgets and entertainment…room for people and distractions of every sort…room for chatter and nonsense…room for working and relaxation…room for grief and regret…room for family and friends…room for bitterness and strife…room for loving and being loved…room for personal agenda and programmed performance…room for wasted moments.
“But for the One who reigns forever, there’s no room today…”
People's lives and hearts can become so overcrowded with the clutter of this present world that there is no room left for Jesus.
And for some, it is not so much the general clutter, as it is the circumstances of life. As I was reminded in Sunday School recently, not everyone is full of the joy of the season. The hustle and bustle, not to mention the expense, is not so joyous for those without a job.
Others dread this time because of memories of Christmases past. Perhaps they have gone through a divorce, or have suffered the emptiness the death of a loved one can bring. Even in a crowded mall or a festive dining room, the pangs of loneliness can be a terrible thing.
All of this, and more, can crowd our hearts so that there is no room for the One who knows us best and loves us most.
But please allow me today to encourage your heart. Let us turn everything over into the loving hands of the Master. He is asking us to lay it all down at His feet, and simply let Him reign.
He who sees and knows all recognizes our pain and disappointment. He is there in the midst of our financial woes. He feels our grief and despair. He is here!
Please make room for Jesus today, not just in this time of celebration of His birth, but for always. May the Peace and Joy of Christmas dwell in you, and may you rejoice with exceeding great joy!!
No room
No room for Him
No room to let Him in
No room for Jesus
In the heart He made
Just for Him
No room for the King of Kings
Room for others and for other things
But no room for Jesus
In the heart He made
No room
Room for houses, land, and pleasures
Room for things that pass away
But for One who lives forever
There's no room today
No room for the King of Kings
Room for others and for other things
He just keeps knocking
But He hears you say
"No room!"
--Lanny Wolfe
No room for Him
No room to let Him in
No room for Jesus
In the heart He made
Just for Him
No room for the King of Kings
Room for others and for other things
But no room for Jesus
In the heart He made
No room
Room for houses, land, and pleasures
Room for things that pass away
But for One who lives forever
There's no room today
No room for the King of Kings
Room for others and for other things
He just keeps knocking
But He hears you say
"No room!"
--Lanny Wolfe
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