Early this morning as the sun rose, I
stepped into the half light of the apartment where we were staying.
I turned on the coffee pot and walked over to the sliding glass
door and gazed at the beauty outside. When the coffee finished brewing, I
poured myself a cup and added some cream from the refrigerator. Then, with the
coffee cup warming my hands, I walked the few paces to the couch and sat down.
I picked up the lighter and slowly lit the advent wreath, giving thanks to God
for His unspeakable gift - a gift I needed far more than anything someone on
earth could give me. I breathed a prayer as I lit each candle.
"Thank You, God, that You became flesh and took on the form of a man
so that I could know about You. Thank You that You are Immanuel - God
with us. Thank You that You knew what I needed most this Christmas and
every Christmas - a Savior. Thank You for Your gifts of hope, peace, joy
and love." When I finished lighting the wreath, I nestled my body
into the cushions of the couch and began to read from Galatians, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son . . ." I read on, once again touched by God's gift to us.
Every Christmas no matter where I am in the world, this is the way I love to start the day - lighting the advent wreath and then with coffee warming my hands and the Bible and prayer warming my heart, I give this day to the Lord. But today we were in Florida, so after a few minutes on the couch, I slipped out to the balcony where I could watch the sun rise over the distant ocean. A cool breeze stirred the palm trees and a fountain rippled the water in a pool below the balcony. I marveled at the beauty around me. Imagine, I thought, that the God who made all of this became one of His own creatures - a man. The God who is so powerful that He spoke this world into existence became powerless - a baby who needed His mother for nourishment to sustain him.
After reading a while and praying, my coffee cup was empty and it was time to head back in. Just then Charlie came out. "Merry Christmas," he said to me and lightly kissed my cheek. "Merry Christmas, " I replied. He stood for a minute behind my chair and joined me in admiring God's creation of this new day. Then we headed back in so that I could make breakfast.
Usually on Sunday mornings, I put on worship music while I am preparing breakfast, but I had forgotten to bring along any CD's on this trip. Instead, I hummed, "O come let us adore Him" as I worked. How glad I was that this Christmas fell on a Sunday. It seemed especially appropriate to me to gather with other believers on this, His birthday. Even though we would be visitors in church that morning in a church where we had never gone, it would be good to sing His praises together with other believers and read His Word with them.
After breakfast and getting ready we headed out. On the way to church, Charlie found a radio station playing Christmas carols and we listened and occasionally sang along. When we arrived, we were greeted by several people and found our seats. Before long the choir filed into the choir loft. "A small choir this morning," a voice said behind us. When the first notes of "Emmanuel" were sung, I breathed a sign of thanksgiving. "Thank you, Lord," I prayed, "for good music and for believers with whom to celebrate You on this, Your birthday. I have never met these people before, and yet they are some of the ones with whom I will spend eternity. How appropriate that I meet more of Your children on Your birthday."
The rest of the day included dinner with my sister's family, walks on the beach, watching the sun set over the ocean, and taking a drive after dark to look for Christmas lights. It was a good day. As I settled into bed that night, I thanked the Lord.
"Thank You, Lord, for today," I prayed. "It was a lovely day. I really enjoy it when I get to be with Your people on Christmas Day, even when I don't know them."
Then I thought, "Lord, did You have a good day today? We say Christmas is the day we celebrate the day You were born, so did You have a good day? I hope so. I hope that all of the worship that was lifted to You by Your children today made it a good day for You. I know You are outside of our time zones and You don't experience days like we do, but You came into our world on this day many years ago, so You know what I am talking about. Next year, when Christmas falls on a Monday and it is unlikely that I will attend a church service that day, then help me to be as conscious with my worship of You as I was today. Help me to make sure that YOU are the One that I am honoring on that day. Help me to make it a day that is pleasing to You. Amen."
Every Christmas no matter where I am in the world, this is the way I love to start the day - lighting the advent wreath and then with coffee warming my hands and the Bible and prayer warming my heart, I give this day to the Lord. But today we were in Florida, so after a few minutes on the couch, I slipped out to the balcony where I could watch the sun rise over the distant ocean. A cool breeze stirred the palm trees and a fountain rippled the water in a pool below the balcony. I marveled at the beauty around me. Imagine, I thought, that the God who made all of this became one of His own creatures - a man. The God who is so powerful that He spoke this world into existence became powerless - a baby who needed His mother for nourishment to sustain him.After reading a while and praying, my coffee cup was empty and it was time to head back in. Just then Charlie came out. "Merry Christmas," he said to me and lightly kissed my cheek. "Merry Christmas, " I replied. He stood for a minute behind my chair and joined me in admiring God's creation of this new day. Then we headed back in so that I could make breakfast.
Usually on Sunday mornings, I put on worship music while I am preparing breakfast, but I had forgotten to bring along any CD's on this trip. Instead, I hummed, "O come let us adore Him" as I worked. How glad I was that this Christmas fell on a Sunday. It seemed especially appropriate to me to gather with other believers on this, His birthday. Even though we would be visitors in church that morning in a church where we had never gone, it would be good to sing His praises together with other believers and read His Word with them.
After breakfast and getting ready we headed out. On the way to church, Charlie found a radio station playing Christmas carols and we listened and occasionally sang along. When we arrived, we were greeted by several people and found our seats. Before long the choir filed into the choir loft. "A small choir this morning," a voice said behind us. When the first notes of "Emmanuel" were sung, I breathed a sign of thanksgiving. "Thank you, Lord," I prayed, "for good music and for believers with whom to celebrate You on this, Your birthday. I have never met these people before, and yet they are some of the ones with whom I will spend eternity. How appropriate that I meet more of Your children on Your birthday."
The rest of the day included dinner with my sister's family, walks on the beach, watching the sun set over the ocean, and taking a drive after dark to look for Christmas lights. It was a good day. As I settled into bed that night, I thanked the Lord.
"Thank You, Lord, for today," I prayed. "It was a lovely day. I really enjoy it when I get to be with Your people on Christmas Day, even when I don't know them."
Then I thought, "Lord, did You have a good day today? We say Christmas is the day we celebrate the day You were born, so did You have a good day? I hope so. I hope that all of the worship that was lifted to You by Your children today made it a good day for You. I know You are outside of our time zones and You don't experience days like we do, but You came into our world on this day many years ago, so You know what I am talking about. Next year, when Christmas falls on a Monday and it is unlikely that I will attend a church service that day, then help me to be as conscious with my worship of You as I was today. Help me to make sure that YOU are the One that I am honoring on that day. Help me to make it a day that is pleasing to You. Amen." 