But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:1-6
I have been trying to write this post for a week now but time has been scarce. For some reason, it seems to march on even faster once December comes. We seek the quiet moments and they seem few and far between, and sometimes you just have to insist on them. This morning I fired up my heater in the shop and lit my little tree and I reveled in that magic moment when dawn just begins to color the earth. I thanked God for the knowledge that He hears me from His place of unapproachable light. He longs to hear our words, friends. As the candle flickered in the lantern on top of the roll around tool box, I keenly felt His presence.
Then I thought, celebrating Christmas really does set the tone for the rest of the year. And it’s not the gifts or the rushing around. It’s certainly not the road rage. It’s those unexpected moments that drop down when we least expect it. It’s your eyes welling up with tears when you listened to a Christmas song for the umpteenth time but this time you really felt it.
It’s going to a High School play watching kids act out “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s seeing that one kid beam with joy when he sees you there, knowing you’d come because you gave your word. How grateful I am to have a best friend who keeps promises to kids. It was well worth skipping the gym to go along because I ended up blessed. God loves to break us out of our little routines sometimes in order to give us something better.
Christmas is looking for those moments, having the faith that God will show up when He’s meant to. Even when things seem bleak and uncertain. For the world is just about as chaotic as it’s ever been, and I don’t think anyone would argue with that. The world needs Jesus now just as much as the first time He came. I think of the heartache and suffering just in my own little circle of friends and family.
Elaine’s Mom stands in the bathroom of the Alzheimer’s care-home and asks where the bathroom is and she asks, how long Lord?
Another friend had a bad fall. She’s been the caretaker of her husband for many years and now she is laid up. She asks how long, Lord? I could go on and on, but I won’t. I know you probably ask the same question. Feel the Psalmists words, they just might echo your own…..
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalms 13:1,2
But look at how he ends the Psalm…….read the verse at the top again. That’s the answer my friends. That’s the victory and hope that we have as believers. We know that He will indeed show up, as He has every time in the past. Hope is the brilliant backdrop of our lives. When we look back at all our times of deliverance, our hearts overflow with gratitude, even in the midst of tears.
At Christmas, we wait in expectation for God to show up among the living, breathing hours of our days. And remembering that He already did, and continues to show up day after day. Year after year. Look for those moments, my friends. Collect them like snowflakes on your sleeve, each one is different, each one is a miracle.
Lori's Prayer Closet 
Oh my…what timing. Just last night at my church, the message was on “waiting on the Lord” (in particular the 400 year wait between the old and new testaments, waiting on the messiah, Zechariah waiting for his Son to be born and his speech to return). In that message, our pastor quoted Ps 13:1-2 just as you did. Hmmm, I guess God wants to reinforce that message for me. Since that message last night, you know what has been running through my mind? Here it is: “I don’t need to wait on God anymore”. What I mean by that statement is that God is here now in my life for exactly what I need “right now”. When I focus “too much” on the waiting, it implies I’m only focused on some future event or answer to prayer. Soooo, while I wait, I’ll just see if I can sortof forget that I’m waiting because I’m too focused on what God wants me to do right now. 🙂 Blessings in this season of remembering our Lord Jesus’ birth!! 🙂
Jim, thank you for much for your comment…….and you are right, “I don’t need to wait on God anymore….” He is here and now in the present and ready to help us in whatever situation we might find ourselves in at the moment. If we can forget that we are waiting, we focus on the present! I hope and pray you are enjoying the Christmas season with a measure of peace and joy in knowing that He came and is coming again! Thank you for reading……Blessings, Lori
I know – I don’t have to ask – that Warren is tired of life. He’s tired of the pain, the bricked-up bowels from years of bad diet, the multiple hip surgeries, the nerve damage from the stenosis and the curvature of his spine. He hits 94 this month, a day before my own birthday, and he is tired. He misses his wife, dead seven years now, and wants to join her – but not yet. For whatever reason God has set the number of His days to be what they are, and we are here to make sure he has them in comfort, in dignity, and with family around at all times.
Waiting is hard work sometimes, and sometimes it seems to require more patience that we have. That is an illusion – we merely need to use what patience He’s given us better, and sometimes? Even the desire to do that is hard – but we all wait on God for His instructions. His timing. His gifts.
Thanks, Lori!
Rick, I wonder sometimes if all this medical technology we have now is such a good thing in certain circumstances. I just came from visiting my friend’s Mom in the Alzheimer’s facility and after talking about it, we decided that she missed the verbal sparring she had her whole life with her husband. When you’ve have 60 years of bickering, it’s hard to break the habit so her daughter gets the brunt of it when she goes to see her. It is hard, no doubt about it. But you are right, He has already supplied us with whatever we need to bear up. Warren is your Dad, I take it? Oh bless him, 94…….God has set all of our days and maybe someday we will have the answers that are elusive now. I will pray for he and you…..may you find joy and peace this Christmas season! Blessings, Lori
Warren is my father-in-law – we’ve been living with him two years now, taking care of him – otherwise, I’m in complete agreement; we’ve added length to the number of days and improved the quality of many of those, but I wonder sometimes… Bless you and yours this Christmas and always. 🙂
Lori, your post also reminds me of the waiting we’re to do as poets and writers – to spend quiet times with the Lord and wait for God’s leading in what we’re to write in Jesus’ Name. Thanks. I’ll highlight this on the Christian Poets & Writers blog – http://christianpoetsandwriters.blogspot.com. God bless.
Mary, thank you so much for highlighting my blog post! Yes, much of writing does involve waiting for those right “inspired” words to come. But the waiting is a refining process, though sometimes hard, even excruciating at times, the rewards are rich when they do come. I am so glad you were blessed by my post. I hope you are enjoying the Christmas season, reflecting on His birth and all the joy that comes along with that! Lori
Beautiful writing that always touches me in some way. I imagine you, Lori, as a Believer whose countenance gives off His light and His spirit. Your words certainly reflect Him. Thank you for that.
Today at church one of the song choices was Joy to the World, and as I read those words on the big screen of the church, my eyes welled with tears — as these words met me in my seat: “let every heart, prepare him room” and “the wonders of his love.” Indeed. Another song we sang — “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, ” and I felt like I was in high church — His spirit was there — it was amazing. So, your aging friends know why they can face it even though they don’t want to. Hugs to them. Prayers for them.
I always appreciate your thoughts here as there is always a word.
Word.
Bless you, sweet Lori.
Oh dear Harriet! You always make me smile…..your words touched me and they mean so much! Yes, sometimes sitting in church is a little reflection of what it will be like when we are all in that great glorious “hereafter” and sometimes the hereafter comes to meet us here and Heaven and earth collide for a moment. Sounds like you had one of those experiences. I wish they happened more often, I confess, but then maybe we would take them for granted and we wouldn’t have to exercise our faith! Bless you dear friend…..you reminded me of my Mom when you mentioned “Because He lives….” that is one of her favorite songs! I hope you are enjoying the season…..I have been traveling but now I am home for a spell until New Years! Merry Christmas……Love, Lori