Radical Christmas

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I wanted to write something that would be an encouragement to people, or maybe something light and hopeful. At the very least, I was aiming for celebratory. But then I started thinking of everything that I still had to do and everything that was going on with everyone I know and love and instead of writing, I started daydreaming about the day after Christmas and how nice it would be to breathe again. And that’s when the Spirit moved.

I don’t know if anyone else does this, but I am ever turning my life into one big ball of complication. The holidays just amplify this tendency so that I can’t escape it. And believe it or not, I’m not remotely talking about the material here. It’s not presents and cards and decorations and parties that I complicate. It’s my heart-life.

I start thinking about who’s struggling, what might happen, who likes me and who doesn’t, who I’ve offended, who I might still offend, what Jesus thinks about this or that, etc. until I just want to scream because it’s all too much. Instead of working and analyzing and mulling and pondering, I think that I’m going to take a deep breath and LET GO.

I’m going to LET Jesus be in me who and how He wants to be. I’m going to LET life and events unfold as God ordains, without trying futilely to anticipate every zig and zag. I’m going to surrender my will to God, and trust the indwelling life of Christ to rise and BE. What a truly radical notion! I’m going to celebrate the birth of Jesus by not strangling His resurrected Life in me.

Just a little while now, and the world will not see Me any more, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you.
John 14:19-20 AMP

And if I fail, and leave the flow of the Spirit and step in the soup, I will apologize and ask forgiveness. I have everything to gain by leaping into my LET, and I refuse to let fear paralyze me and render me the equivalent of a spiritual door-stop. Jesus Himself is Peace, though He did not come to bring it, and I’m going to LET Him celebrate His birthday however He’d like.

May we all receive the abundant grace God has provided for every circumstance we might face – the pretty, the pretty awful, and the Jesus-help-me-911.

We’re going to be posting a few of Martha’s writings over the next few days, just like last year. These writings aren’t currently posted anywhere online at the moment, and they’re just too rich to be forgotten. I hope that they bless all of you as much as they’ve blessed me—which is to say, enormously!

Merry, merry Radical Christmas to you all!