Stopping

There is so much hustle and bustle this time of year. So much to set our eyes upon, so much noise to fill our ears, so many thoughts to clutter our minds.

Don't get me wrong. I love it. I love Christmas and all of it's splendor. Love the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Love the season. Love the time with family and friends. Love the fun and traditions that are passed down in our family from generation to generation. And... love the new traditions we've added to the mix. I even love buying gifts for my children, and those we love.

I don't, however, love the frenzy that overtakes us every year. I say that I will resist it. Annually, in fact, I vow that I will not allow the madness to sweep us into it's clutches. I won't run around missing the joy of what's happening to "get it all done". I won't stress about buying gifts and spending money. I won't burden us with unnecessary obligations and time commitments. I won't miss the beauty of the one True Gift...that Jesus came. I will not miss it.

And...

Every year, inevitably, there are potlucks and school/work gift exchanges, family dinners, expectations, baking, cooking, cleaning, shopping, running, millions of things filling my already-quite-scattered mind that quickly come upon us. Before I know it, the frenzy has overtaken us, and I am a very tired mama, wondering how I let this happen again. The excitement is fun. The celebrating with those we love...that is a gift. But, the stress is not.

The reality is that there IS much to do. This past week, I slept little and raced around much. I was feeling especially exhausted and many concerns were heavy on my mind yesterday after our school/work Christmas Party (and incidentally our last day before Christmas break - Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!). James had the cookies for his school party, and his gift exchange, but I forgot to put his homework back into his bag after signing it. I still have gifts to buy for several people on my list. Shipments need to go out again soon for Sufficient Grace - so many grieving hearts. There are scheduling conflicts for some of our family dinners. Who is coming? Who can't make it? When will Tim and I have a minute to sit down and work on songs for Worship? We are out of cereal. A family needs a Dreams of You Basket for their baby girl whose funeral is Sunday. This is the kind of random craziness that was rolling around in my mind. And the ache of tiredness was seeping in.

I pulled into the post office to check the ministry mail and to (finally) send out my Christmas cards. It had been a few days since I stopped. And there were two envelopes in the box.The first one was a Christmas card from sweet Jennifer that held a picture of her beautiful boys. It brought a smile to my weary face.

And, when I opened the second. I finally stopped.





I stopped to let the tears flow...

I stopped to remember them...

I stopped to envision the joy on their faces as they look into the eyes of their Savior...

I stopped to let the gift of it all wash over me...

The gift from Jess, another mom who has said good-bye to her babies, and finds hope in the promise of heaven and comfort in the fact that Jesus holds her babies until she is allowed to hold them once more...

The gift that came in an envelope...

The gift made with the hands of a grieving mother, a mother who took the time to remember the names of three more babies and the years of their first Christmases in heaven, even as she longs for her own little one. She remembers the names of MY babies. She knows that they were here.

And, she knows this...


Better is one day in Your courts, than thousands elsewhere...(Psalm 84:10)

She knows that the greatest gift can't be found in a store...that what He's already given us is more precious than anything on this earth.

The greatest gift came wrapped not in tinsel and shiny paper, but with swaddling clothes and lying in a lowly manger. A Savior who is Christ the Lord.

This morning, I awoke with a song in my heart ("Go Tell it On the Mountain", in case you're wondering.) I looked out the window, and I stopped again.



I closed my eyes and remembered the first snowfall so many years ago...a gift from heaven above, just like the picture before me this morning.

Then, during devotions the Lord whispered this verse to my heart, just in case the frenzy sweeps in once more to steal my peace...

Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. - Matthew 6:8

And...I stopped again. Whatever is on my heart and mind today...God sees and knows, and He will take care of it.

We serve a God who loves us enough to stop our frenzy and make sure that we don't miss the gifts He's given us.

Praying that you will be able to stop this Christmas and that you will not miss one gift sent to you from our Father in Heaven...especially the greatest gift of all...given for you...His precious Son.