There are seven days until Christmas and I feel like I can say that to myself in one of two ways.
The first, the one I default to, the one that feels the most normal this time of year comes through a mega phone a bit like Ty Pennington on Extreme Makeover Home Edition.
“SEVEN DAYS, PEOPLE, SEVEN DAYS! YOU NEED TO HAVE ALL YOUR CRAP DONE AND WRAPPED AND FINISHED AND YOU ONLY HAVE SEVEN DAYS!”
And yes, how lovely that I scream at myself on a regular basis. My twitter friend and great teacher, Mary DeMuth said this in her blog this morning:
What if God’s perfect love meant the voice inside your head was more Gentle Cheerleader and less Angry Teacher?
What if? What if I loved myself the way Jesus loves me. What if I gave myself the grace and the love that I try so hard to express to my family and my friends? What if?
I did it again, Friends. I got a tad lost on my way to the manger. And for me, that’s especially bad because I’ve written about this over and over again. And surely, if you write about something and talk about it enough you stop doing it, right?
Evidently not.
So today I’m going to press reset on this Christmas. 2013 will NOT be the year I look back on and feel like I failed. I’m going to pause. And light a candle. And send 10 Christmas cards with actual words written in them that I mean, not a hastily scrolled signature on 100 of them. I’m going to go for a walk with my dog and notice things. I’m going to dance in my kitchen and sing a Christmas carol at the top of my lungs and listen to that song on my Amy Grant Christmas album that brings me literally to my knees every time because it so beautifully reminds me of who my God is.
And the voice I hear will not be angry teacher screaming through a megaphone of fear and scarcity and not-enoughness.
It will be the voice of my savior saying gently and beautifully,
“7 days my child. 7 days until you celebrate that Love Came Down. That I loved you enough to send my child to die for you. That you are my precious creation and I would do anything for you. And have done everything for you. Let’s be at peace together.”
Merry Christmas.
Jen
I think this is my favorite post you’ve done to date. Thank you so much for sharing and for reminding everyone to slow down and really enjoy the season! No doubt that is what God would want us all to do!
Yvonne
thank you, Yvonne!! It was totally Jesus – it’s fun for me when he uses my own writing to talk to me. That’s weird but awesome, right??