Tag: Christmas

A Gift That Can’t Be Wrapped

Lisa Preuett

Stress. Angst. Dread.

What am I going to get them for Christmas this year? 

They don’t really need anything.

Didn’t we get them a gift card last year? 

Isn’t there something better we can give? 

And finally it hit me. Something that can’t be wrapped. Something that everyone wants. Something we never seem to have enough of.

OUR TIME

Instead of buying another toy for that niece or nephew, how about going out with them to pick out a toy or take them to one of their favorite places?

Instead of mindlessly purchasing another gift card for your loved one, why not take them out to lunch or dinner and spend time with them?

Instead of buying another coffee cup they don’t need, how about taking them out for coffee and just visiting with them. Listening to them.

This isn’t easy. It takes time. Time we could be doing other things. But if people truly matter to us and our relationships are important to us, then why not give them our time?

The toys and stuff we buy will at some point break, be outgrown or thrown away.

The gift cards will be spent all too soon.

But the memories created by investing time in others will last forever. Spending time with people is priceless.

Now this may be challenging for those with loved ones who live out of town and your time is limited. But I challenge you to at least start with the people you do have the opportunity to do this with.

Who can you give the gift of your time?

Merry Christmas dear friends! May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and in your families.

present

Not Enough Room

Lisa Preuett

Busy. Stressful. Full. Overwhelmed. Over-committed

Yes, these words might just describe how you feel during this season of celebrating Christmas.

Shopping for gifts, you cram as much as you can into your trunk until nothing else could possibly fit.

Looking at your finances for the month, you conclude that there’s nothing left.

The calendar on the fridge is hard to read because there’s no white space left anywhere. Every single day is filled in with an event.

In Luke 2:7, we read  “Mary laid the baby Jesus in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.”

No room for them? No room for the savior of the world? No room for the promised messiah?

We might balk at this predicament and exclaim how unfair it was for someone to turn away a mother getting ready to give birth. How could they not make room for Jesus?

How could they?

But in a similar way, aren’t we guilty of doing the same thing sometimes?

Do we fill our days with so much busyness that we don’t have time for Jesus?

Do we allow numerous negative thoughts to crowd our mind, leaving no room for meditating on uplifting truth?

Do we selfishly grip that one area of our life, not wanting to surrender it to Jesus?

I am guilty of all of these!

My to-do list is more than I can realistically accomplish, and before I know it, the day is over and not once have I taken time to pray and ask Jesus for his direction. NOT ENOUGH ROOM

After a conflict with my husband I allow my mind to be consumed with his offensive words. I dwell, rehash and stew over this instead of taking it to Jesus. NOT ENOUGH ROOM

More often than not, I am driven by pride instead of being spirit led. NOT ENOUGH ROOM

What about you, dear friend? Where in your life are you struggling to make enough room for Jesus?

Where are you crowding him out? Where are you saying no to him when it should be yes? Where are you wanting your way instead of his way?

May God have mercy on us when we choose to crowd out the very one who came to save us. Rescue us. Redeem us. Restore us.

When we choose to do this, we are just like the busy inn-keeper who told the parents of the Messiah, “Sorry, there’s no room.”

In his defense, he didn’t know who he was turning away.

He didn’t know the savior of the world was getting ready to be born on his property.

He didn’t know his stable would become famous for generations to come.

He didn’t know he was in the presence of the soon-to-be-born King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

But we do know who Jesus is and yet we still turn him away at times.

I’m so thankful for God’s forgiveness and patience with us. So grateful for his love for us.

I pray we will embrace him every day. Every hour. Every moment. Leaving enough room for him to lead us, guide us and love others through us.

Will you choose to leave enough room for Jesus today?

No_Room

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett