Busy Season

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines! It is the Advent/Christmas season. A time of rushing around, preparing worship, working with all the extra services, working around other's schedules, extra rehearsals, setting up chapels, leading chapels, shopping, family events...when does it end? All these things happen and when you think you have time to for a quick breath -- bang -- more is asked of you. As a church worker, people know you work hard during this season. They know that the message of Christ's birth will be shared. They know that when they come to worship, a worship experience will be had. They know that during the week, the planning and preparing will take place. So I and others keep plugging away during this Advent/Christmas season. But the problem isn't the things I have the privilege of doing. The problem comes within my heart. As I'm working to prepare and share the message with others, the message must be in my heart. In order to share the message, I must also hear it and allow the joy of this message live through me. This is when I need to stop, take a deep breath, and open my heart. I need to open my heart to the Word of God. The story of Christmas -- the ever reason for our salvation. The Gift given to us all. It must be in my heart and yours and every person. So during this Christmas season, when things seem to get busy and you are running in five different directions. Stop, take a deep breath, and think about the Gift we have been given. Put it in your heart and allow that joy live through you.