The Reason for The Season

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.


Wishing you and yours a Blessed Holiday Season

Because you had a bad day ...

excerpt from Bad Day
by The Chipmunks

Because you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day

Have I ever told you how inspiring song lyrics are to me? Seems like most of the times I get inspired (or whopped on the head) through song lyrics. I have music on a lot at work and in the car so its a nice convenient way for God to get through to me. This bad day however wasn't mine, but this song that my youngest listens to made me think of it.

I got a call from a friend recently and she said "If you have anything you're mad at me about or I'm doing wrong just tell me now ... this has been the worst day ever and I just want to get it out of the way all at once"

Wow, what an opening line to a phone call - this came after my "hello". A different me - the one before Christ started working on my heart - might have taken that opportunity to vent, to let loose on any and all minor irritations that could have happened in my dealings with her. Because you know they are there. Whenever we deal with people who don't meet our expectations or ideals (and lets face it, who does?), there is bound to be something that rubs us wrong. And wouldn't you just relish the opportunity to have carte blanche to categorically let fly on all of them!

Yeah, neither would I. My first thought was "I could never do that - kick you when you're down." I'm sure there was something sometime the ticked me off - most likely because that was my turn to have a bad day and anything that wasn't in line with my view of the world would tick me off.

But God calls us higher. I heard at church during our testimony time a lesson another dear sister has learned. She now asks herself "what does the law of love require from me?" when faced with ... anything. You see all of our actions and reactions are a choice. We can choose to respond out of hurt or fear or past lies influencing our behavior. OR we can choose the Law of Love.

I've said before I'm a rules of engagement kind of person. So I like rules ... laws are better because they are set in stone. But the Law of Love, while firm and fixed is also flexible - it bends to forgive, and it breaks to reach out to others - not breaking the law but breaking the hearts that keep it. For without breaking hearts, without breaking strongholds without breaking chains that bind us to the past, we limit the Law of Love. But when what holds us in the past is broken by (Christ's) Love, that same love, and what we can accomplish through it, is unlimited.

As we look forward to a new year, let us break the chains of the past, and embrace Christ's love ... asking ourselves each day, each hour, each minute ... What does the Law of Love require from me?

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