A Singular Anticipation of Christmas - Day 21

Noel, Noel, Jesus is alive. 
Emanuel, hope is here tonight

I read the following quote today from Donald Miller; “God's involvement in our lives is often obvious when we look back. The trick is to believe He's involved right now.” 

That is the trick isn’t it. 

We were in the car driving home from church last weekend when Elliott asked, “if Jesus died on the cross, how come people say he is alive?”  I told him that Jesus lives in our hearts, and as long as we carry him there he’ll never die.  Elliott said what he always says when I answer one of his questions – “I knew that.”  

For once I’m glad he responded the way he did and didn’t feel like digging deeper.  I’m afraid I would have been forced into a confession that some days, at least when it comes to my own heart, Jesus isn’t very alive at all.  Donald Miller is right, when I look back on my life God is there.  Everywhere. There are so many paths in my life that make little since outside the presence of God.  And trust me, it’s much easier believing someone was there when they signed the guest book.  With a permanent marker.

I’m very grateful for God’s hand in my life.  But some days it’s a “thank you – I’ll take it from here” like grateful.  Maybe that’s the danger of anticipating Christmas.  I exhaust so much energy planning for the big birthday party that when the day comes and I light the candles on the cake and Christ himself doesn’t walk through the door to blow out the candles, it’s  anti-climatic and I quickly settle back into my normal routines.  And as much as I know the day is coming when He really is going to walk through my door, or at least reach out his hand to lead me through His, that day often seems too distant for me to factor into today.

Maybe the trick is listening to today’s song every day.  Maybe it’s realizing Christmas wasn’t about December 25th, but today.