Thursday, December 25, 2008

Twelve Days for Christmas, Days 11 and 12

I am certain that Satan did not want me to finish our study of Rick Warren’s The Purpose of Christmas. On Monday, I woke up with a fever and sinuses that a stick of dynamite couldn’t budge. On Tuesday, I woke up and our heat pump had burned out. It was a whopping forty-five degrees in the house. Several phone calls later, I realized it would be at least one more night, possibly two before we would have heat. Being sick and having to camp over at friends’ was not what I had in mind for the days leading up to Christmas. "Distracted" seems inadequate to describe my state of mind.

But by the time I finish writing this, Christmas Eve midnight will have come and gone. It will be Christmas. We got back into our house this evening. The antibiotics I’ve been taking have started to kick in. My nearly grown children are nestled snug in their beds while visions of giftcards dance in their heads.

The house is silent, save for the ticking of the clock. The Christmas tree sparkles with colored lights and tinsel. Ornaments my daughters made at school in the early nineties still hang in places of great honor. Now we are here; it is Christmas.

On this holy, silent night, I can turn to the Scriptures to relieve my distraction. I am drawn to the book of Revelation where the end is revealed from the beginning. The angels and elders are gathered around the throne of God. Just like in the night sky over Bethlehem, they all begin to sing for Jesus:

You were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become God’s kingdom and His priests. And they will reign on the earth.

Chorus:
The Lamb is worthy – the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
Amen.

And that is what Christmas is all about.

Good night and God Bless – may you feel His grace today:
Gail W.

The last Word:
You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that we exist and were created.
Revelation 4:11, NLT.

5 comments:

Denise said...

You my sweet friend, are very loved, and very worthy. Sorry for your recent problems, hope you feel much better very soon. Merry Christmas, I love you.

glenda said...

Merry Christmas to you, too Dear! Thanks for doing this study for us, with us. Blessings for an awesome 2009.
Love you!!

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Wow...talk about interruptions to a silent night! I'm so sorry for the stress of the moment. I cannot even imagine having to contend with sickness and no heat. You're a trooper to keep perspective and to write your heart. I'm afraid I would have been consigned to a room somewhere other than my home!

Here's hoping the rest of your December breathes with health and happy and healing for the year ahead. Thank you for being so faithful to our God. I pray for you many moments of solitude and joy with him this week.

peace~elaine

Aunt Angie said...

Gail...I am so glad you kept on with this...Aimee and I fought the same/similar issues---sickness, busyness, fatigue, wandering mind--due to overworking it!...but when we dig in---God lifts up!
I wasn't able to read each day as you posted...but each day has been filled with such anointing...that is why satan didn't want you to do it!
I love your dedicated heart!!!

LA Nickers said...

Merry Christmas!

Blessings,

Linda



HEART OF A READY WRITER – Reading Through the Bible in 2009