Such joy on a child’s face just to see her mommy..... What love. I love the look of pure happiness on her face just to see me. I wonder if God feels the same way when we come into his presence, do we get happy to be with him, or are we more grumpy, upset and unhappy? When we go to church do we spread love and joy, or do we wait for others to cheer us up, to notice us, to say hello to us. I heard some Christians say that no one at church said hi to them, no one asked how they are doing, what kind of church it is if no one even notices you!? But the person talking has been a Christian most of her life and never even thinks that perhaps it is time to be the one who notices a new person, notices someone when they are sad or down. Maybe its time to be the comforter to someone else and to be the one who stands firm and strong. How many years do we need to be a Christian before we start lending a helping hand to our sister in need? When do we decide to feel the joy, the gratitude of our Lord and savior? Is it a choice we make for ourselves, or is it something that we receive from Jesus?.. Is it something we can receive this Christmas season? A gift of joy to share with others? And in giving, our joy will double. This is why we celebrate Christmas, to have joy evermore.
I remember clearly, at some point about eight years ago, realizing that I needed to focus on serving others. I had been a Christian for years. It was no longer practical to walk into church expecting to get fed, get my needs met, etc. I had to become someone who nourished others. I had to be a disciple-maker. It was time to give back. It set me free to focus on Christ and to trust Him to meet my needs in whatever way He chose to do it.
ReplyDelete