World Shattering Christmas Decorations!

There's a song by Brandon Heath all about how people shouldn't put up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. He says they shouldn't even talk about it until the day after Thanksgiving.

I'm certainly not that way, if you want to put up some Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving by all means go ahead! But... the day after Christmas it ALL comes down! (Or at least if it's gone by New Years.) 

I have a very large Christmas town. 15+ bins full of little glass houses that I set up in my room every year. It takes at least 2 days to set this thing up if not more. I really enjoy it! Still, when Christmas is over, the town comes down! (I want my room back) This year it was not to be. The day after Christmas I had to work, and every day after that until the 28th. I started to disassemble some of the town but unfortunately I got the flu. So the next week I worked half days and then came home to crash in a chair somewhere. I longed to get after that Christmas town clean up, but I knew it would be very unwise to haul those 15+ bins out of the attic storage and down 2 flights of stairs when I felt ill.

New Years came and went and the town remained. When I finally felt better, we were so busy working I had no time to clean up my Christmas decorations. 

Then one night I finally poured out my overwhelmed frustrations before the Lord. (You can laugh at me if you want to!) But I was so busy working, I had no time for anything, and that town! I had no time to clean it up! *sniffle sniffle* life is certainly coming to an end. The Holy Spirit came to my rescue in that moment with a statement that may seem a bit insensitive to most, but was refreshingly freeing. He said simply, "What does it matter if that town sits out for three weeks? You work so much you're never home to see it anyway." That's a good point!

The real problem wasn't work, the flu, or that huge mountain of overdue Christmas decor! It was me. I was looking for peace of mind in a project. If I could just accomplish that project I would feel better. You will keep him in perfect peace... whose mind is focused on cleaning up his Christmas decorations. I NEVER read that in the Bible! 

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3

I want to be immovable and untouchable, but to be that you must hold on to One thing. If I only hold onto the Lord than I should be able to be placed in any situation and be unshakable. This doesn't mean I don't have any emotions in the situation, but the circumstances of life won't decide how I'm going to live. 

I can't hold onto the Lord for peace and my Christmas decorations getting put away. 

After my little chat with the Lord I let go of my hold on what I thought would bring me peace and looked to the Prince of Peace for fulfillment. Over that week I slowly worked on putting away my Christmas decorations. I didn't spend every waking moment doing it, I just worked at it a little at a time.

Today I finally completed the project and felt kind of funny about it. I was glad to see my room as it had once been, but I felt no overwhelming relief or big sigh of satisfaction. I had become untouchable, I was no longer looking to that project to give me something.

We can't look to things to give us what the Lord is. 

I don't need a weekend to be strengthened.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:9

I don't need a vacation to be refreshed.

"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

Acts 3:19

I don't need a television to find rest.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

I can enjoy finishing projects, weekends, vacations, and television, but I don't need them.

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-12

I recently read a story about a man who was a missionary in China around the 1920s-30s. He had been taken hostage by Chinese bandits and was being marched with a line of others. He couldn't keep up well because of a recent surgery from which he was recovering. The bandits threatened to shoot him if he didn't keep up and the man replied. "If you shoot me I'll just go to heaven."

This man held onto One thing. Even in this harsh situation he was untouchable, because he didn't even hold to his life. He went to heaven that day, I'm sure with great rejoicing, for they could not take the One thing he had chosen to hold onto.

After reading a story like that I feel pretty pathetic having "panicked" over some Christmas decorations. But the Lord doesn't belittle us for our petty problems, instead He takes them and starts teaching us right there, right where we are at. How did all these giants of the faith get to be the men and woman we so admire? By allowing the Lord to teach them how to trust Him, to hold to Him.

I am a work in progress and so very thankful that the Lord is faithful to complete His work!