Happy New Year, friends! I hope you had a blessed Christmas. Mine was busy and beautiful, exhausting and exhilarating, full of family, friends, food, and Jesus.
Two days after Christmas I spent many hours removing the ornaments and lights from my Christmas tree. Then there was the Great Pine Needle Sweep-Up of 2018. I do love a live Christmas tree, but along with the its beauty comes a bit of work. Honestly, I think I swept up enough pine needles to make another small tree. My husband dragged the tree out into our woods where it will become a hiding place for small critters. Although my mantel still has winter decor on it, most of the traces of Christmas are gone from my home.
On the same day that I took my tree down, I came across a poem by Howard Thurman (1899 – 1981) that has taken up residence in my heart. I’m not usually a poem kinda girl, but this one velcro-ed itself to my heart and so today I share it with you.
For many people (at times, myself included), Christmas is over when the decorations are stored away. After reading this poem, I’m convinced that we do Christmas, and all it means, a huge disservice when we mentally tuck it away until next December. In truth, Christmas was only the beginning…..
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.
For Jesus, Christmas was only the beginning. In His short 33 years He found the lost, healed the broken, fed the hungry, released the prisoner, and so much more. His earthly mission began on Christmas, and He left the Holy Spirit here to enable those of us who follow Him to carry on His mission. In doing so, we point others to Christmas….to Jesus.
As we journey into a new year I am seeking to take the work of Christmas along with me rather than boxing Christmas up until next December. I want the ears of my heart to listen intentionally to the words of others with the goal of making certain that person is really heard. My desire is to point other people to Jesus and His wonderful, life-changing Word. I want to do life face-to-face with people rather than through a screen and a keyboard, and I want to speak life into their souls. If God allows, I will take the work of Christmas into 2019 through loving, mentoring, speaking, coaching, writing, and serving my family, friends, and clients. I will write and speak and coach and wife (is that even a word in that sense?) and mother and mentor out of the overflow of Jesus living in my heart.
So, today my question for you is how are you taking the work of Christmas into the New Year?Â
Hearing from you is a sweet blessing to me. Leave a comment below and share your answer with me and other readers. If you are reading this via email, please click HERE to be taken to my website where you can leave a comment.
Happy New Year, friend!
SDG/FCA!!
One way you can take Christmas into 2019 is to sponsor a child living in poverty. Compassion International is the way that I have chosen to do this. Click my affiliate link below to find out more. If you are reading this via email, please click HERE to be taken to my website where you can see the banner.
