'Tis the Season

Here I am sitting rocking my baby girl as words come tumbling through my mind. I snatch up my iphone and begin to clumsily type. There are thoughts of the holiday season, friends and family, gifts and giving, coming into view. As I sit here and think of the joy of this, my favorite time of year, I'm taken aback with how blessed my family is. It's as if it's happened all of a sudden, like a huge surprise, when in reality I find that I've taken so much for granted, and so often forget to be thankful for all that we have been given. While sitting in the quiet of this moment I feel this beckoning, a Call from the Father... The call of the Gospel.

This beckoning and call, is a call to love and give unceasingly, as a spring that gushes forth from the earth without end...without hesitation. For me, at this time of year it would be so easy to hedge myself in to my little world of lights, trees, glitter and more and choose not to see what lies just beyond my borders. A choice not to see a dry and desolate place, to see the longing of the lonely, to see those in need, and those who have deep heartaches and are wounded, at this time of year.

You see just beyond our borders are those who are longing for more, for something, for ANYTHING. They try and fill this longing ache with a myriad of things from gadgets and trinkets to much more destructive things like alcohol and pills, but you and I have the more, the SOMETHING that they need. We have the GOSPEL. We have salvation. We have the JOY that is so prolifically touted at this time of year.

I know many of us broaden and enhance our benevolent and charitable giving at this time of year, but for me, I've all to often used that as an easy out. I give my donation(s), pat myself on the back for my good deed, and continue on with little or no further thought to the real need, the deep-heart need that resides at the very depth of us all. The need for the Savior, His Love, His Grace, His Redemption, and Restoration. So, what if in addition to the benevolent and charitable giving that we do this year, that meets the physical needs of so many, we also unashamedly shared our most vulnerable selves? What if we Loved with His Love, Showered others with His Grace, and led them to the Father..the place where they could be Redeemed and Restored.

Now, this may seem a difficult or daunting task to add to our already hefty holiday schedule and list of things that need to be done, but be encouraged. You have to do nothing other than be an empty vessel, available to the Call...to the Father. All of the heavy lifting is His job. You see HE IS THE SAVIOR, HE IS LOVE, HE IS GRACE, HE IS REDEMPTION, and HE IS RESTORATION. There is no reason we have to even try to be any of those things, just be, and allow Him to be those things through you. How much richer would this Christmas season be if we just stopped trying so hard to do it all and allowed Him to come in and abide in us and spring forth out of us?