"Thank You! It's The Perfect Gift, For Me!"

[Note: This is a devotional, I wrote, especially for this blog, for this Christmas, for my readers! This is a fictional work which I have created, while drawing from an array of my own personal experiences, from both the natural and spiritual realms. So, this is not a testimony, per se, but a holiday "tale" (which is defined as "a fictitious or true narrative or story, especially one that's imaginatively recounted"). Because my blog normally talks about the true events of my actual life it is important that I clarify this for you in regard to this or any post that doesn't, some way. My intent with this post is to share with you the true reason for the season. Merry Christmas!]

This post is dedicated to my dear friend Caroline, who led me to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, when we were in high school. That 'day of Pentecost' event breathed Life into my faith and my relationship with the Lord, changing it, for the better, forever. How grateful I am for this woman of God, whom, back then, as a teenage girl, caused me to realize I could have more with Him! "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God’s message with boldness." (Acts 4:31)

The anticipation from wondering if someone special will give us what we really want from them at Christmas is something that even every child is familiar with. We also wonder if they will like what we are giving them, this year. Sometimes, it can be hard to admit, to ourselves, that even when we got whatever it was we had thought we wanted or needed from others, there was still some, lingering, feeling of an unrequited desire, or an unmet need, deep in our hearts. The gift giver can feel those things from us, too, when they give their gift to us, but for whatever reason we don't seem to want it, value it, or even appreciate it. Giving someone whom we deeply love a very personal gift, can put us at risk of being rejected, ourselves, because of, and along with, that gift. They might love it! They may like it. They could even hate it; from not seeing, or liking, or accepting, the meaning of the gift, from us, to them, at all. It might even be seen by them as the very last thing, they could, ever, have wanted, or needed, from us, when we give it to them. Because it came from our heart, out of our love, our care, and our concern for them, it can feel frustrating, to us, when the recipient rejects what we purchased, for them. Especially, when we went well out of our way, and did everything we could to obtain that for them; even at very high cost, to us. But, regardless of all that, they just did not want it. At least, not that Christmas. You may not have gone through this, yourself, with what you have given to someone. But, God has gone through this, with what He has given, to us! Because it is the perfect Gift, for all of us, He has offered that, very same, Gift to us, anew, each and every Christmas, out of His love for us!

Perhaps this Gift had not seemed all that appealing to us as children, when we were excitedly putting together our new toy train's tracks, or dressing our doll, in its prettiest party dress, that she came with. While we were adolescents, we may have been distracted, by, such things as, checking our social media all the time, to see if the one that we had that current crush on was going to "Like" our posts, and, also, us! Then, as adults, there is so much which demands our attention, day in, and day out. We must take care of so many things, that all have to get done; by us. We often feel that we must deal with those things sooner rather than later. On top of all that, the holidays, themselves, add even more to our, already daunting, every day 'To Do List', which is already long enough, on its own, to leave us feeling backlogged, and stressed, as we try, day after day, to get on top of all those time-consuming things. By the end of each day, we are just really tired. We take our multi-vitamin, and hope for strength, after getting some sleep, as we, finally, go to bed, at too late of an hour, for us to have any chance of getting all the rest we need. We don't even want a treadmill for Christmas, because our life already feels like it is one! Christmases come and go, some leaving us feeling dazzled, but others, disappointed, or even discouraged, by what we were given by our family or friends as opposed to what we had hoped for. We learn, to adjust to, and deal with, all of that, as the years go by.  A strange thing happens, to us, though. Even when, we are having, what feels like, a magical Christmas, with all of our wishes seemingly coming true, there is, still, an empty feeling, inside of us, letting us know that, no matter how good things seem, for us now, something, significant, is still missing, somehow. We notice this. Uncomfortably. Even feeling some guilt and dismay, about that. But we do not seem to know what the cause of it is, either. So, we usually try to distract ourselves from our awareness of it, going on, inside of us. We cannot seem to pinpoint it, and we do not know what to do about it, so we tend to try to ignore it, and just hope it will go away. Over time especially, with the help of all the noise and the busyness of our everyday life, it does seem to.

Then the next Christmas comes . . . .

The lights sparkle all around the city in windows and along streets. The snow glistens like the frozen ground is covered with diamonds. The Christmas trees glow in a blaze of beauty. It all looks so "merry and bright", just like the Christmas carol sings about. There just seems to be some darkness though, even inside of us, that all of this doesn't seem to dispel. We don't tell anyone else about it, out of fear they will see us as selfish, ungrateful, a "Scrooge" or even a "Grinch", stealing their joy, by our being so negative, from bringing this up, when we all seem to already feel that if we are acting any other way than festive, fun, and fulfilled, in our lives--- especially during the holidays--- that something is not only really wrong with us but the others in our lives might not even want us around. As we lay our head on the pillow, in the darkness, at bedtime, a few tears may slide down our cheeks, because we sense this deep uneasiness that exists within ourselves, but we just don't understand what is causing that. Or how to fix it. Even with all of the Christmas clamour and glamour surrounding us, this time of year, there is this persistent panic, in us, underneath it all, that we will never stop feeling like there is a hole in our heart somehow. Indulging ourselves, by making extravagant purchases for others, and even for ourselves, that will ring in the new year with a less-than-bright bill, that includes 20% interest on all of that; overeating or drinking; cheering ourselves up by watching the Hallmark movies, or the annual Christmas-themed cartoons; or joining a choir to sing Christmas carols, still leaves us feeling that something--- significant--- is missing from either the holiday itself or from us. We end up, after years of feeling angry at the world (mostly those in our own; from a special someone to our pet, who failed to meet this need of ours some way) realizing that we can't fault anyone else for not being able to stop this, because we don't have any clue how to make our lives, especially at Christmas, not feel like a let down no matter what any one of us does about it; and we have to acknowledge that this, empty space, exists inside of ourselves.

What is it? Why is it there? Is there anything that can be done to fix that, about us? TO MAKE IT STOP, ALREADY! A very soft whisper, inside us somewhere, seems to want to tell us what the answer is, to this dilemma, only we can't seem to hear it, over the seasonal songs, on the shop speakers; the snow plows grating along the street outside; the banging on the door day-after-day by the USPS and the FedEx, UPS, Amazon and DHL delivery drivers all bringing us our purchases from our Cyber Monday self-indulgence. IT ALL JUST FEELS LIKE IT IS TOO MUCH! And yet . . . in some vague, very elusive way, it also feels like all this is never enough. We look around and realize we don't even need more things. All of those we already own are more we have to maintain, manage, and move, and none of them ever brought us that sense of fulfillment that we know has never arrived; and we can't explain this, even to ourselves, for some reason. All of this stuff, that we accumulated, in an effort to satisfy, or satiate, ourselves may have felt that it had done that, for us, at times. We felt mesmerized, at least momentarily, when these things showed up, in our lives. They were often fun, at least for awhile, yet never quite fulfilled us, in our heart of hearts, enough to fill that vacant space sitting empty within us letting us know by its very presence that we are, indeed, missing something that is supposed to be there. "What is wrong with us?", we wonder. What is it, MISSING from this season? We just don't know. All we know is that this emptiness, inside, is a space that is asking to be filled and though we have tried our best to do that, and done everything we know how to do, about it, . . . IT . . . STILL . . . ISN'T. . . filled; meaning something is still missing, from us or our lives. Staring at the bright lights, on our Christmas tree, we say, to ourselves, "What was it, that the whisper was trying to tell me? Was it something about this?" We still don't really know how to hear it, speaking to us, from somewhere down inside us. But, we begin to wonder, if it knows, the answer that we need to all this, that we just don't know. We need someone to tell us what  is wrong, with this picture of Christmas? Will we ever know what it is? Will we ever be able to stop feeling this way about it? In this season which is supposed to be about love and light we can feel so alone, even around others, and it can seem so dark to us then. What is supposed to emphasize the joy, of the season, instead seems to underscore the opposite of that, for us.

Another Christmas morning arrives. The tree almost has a glare instead of a glow to it, after it is surrounded by piles of torn, crumpled, gilded, wrapping papers, and packaging, which were ripped off of the presents, that had been under the tree. All the shiny, new, objects sit, waiting, to be explored, and hopefully enjoyed, although this scene also bodes ominously of the same cycle, of short-term gratification, turning into a long-term emptiness, again. >sigh!<  A thought comes to mind, almost as quietly as the strange whisper that speaks, softly, somewhere deep within me. It almost seems to take the shape of . . . a prayer! It feels awkward. But good. Like taking a very deep breath, after feeling stressed, by something. For a very long time. Tears fill my eyes, and I don't even know why! Something is happening. To me. In me. While this is not considered real in this realm it is very real, in this other, that I am somehow accessing now, in some spiritual way. This is not in the room, where I am sitting, yet it is going on all around me, or perhaps, only within me. A vision appears, imparted to me, from heaven itself! It is not from my own imagination, nor from my own doing, or thinking, or causing. God is Who is giving me the vision, which I am being allowed to see, not with my natural eyes, but with the eyes of my eternal spirit. Could my concerns, about Christmas, finally be addressed; by God Himself? In my spirit, I begin to hear a small, sweet, cry. In this vision, though, it also seems to be coming from underneath, all of what is, now, just a pile of garbage, left lying, all around the floor, after opening all the Christmas presents. What an untidy mess that made! All of that will have to be thrown out, I think to myself.  What is this sound, I can only hear in my spirit, that seems to be coming from underneath all that debris, though? I kneel down, on the floor, and begin to lift all that rubbish and toss it aside, trying to see what on Earth is making me aware of its presence.  Intently, I search for what is making that sound, that is covered over, by the trash, on the floor. It didn't sound like a puppy or a new pet. It was like a . . . human . . . cry. Like . . . a little baby!

But how could that be?

Then, I SAW IT! I saw HIM! A real baby! Lying buried beneath all the refuse, that was left after opening our presents, to one another. Was this--- this tiny being--- some sort of Christmas gift, to us? How was that even possible?  This was not anything that we had given to one another! Where did he come from? Why was he underneath our Christmas tree? Who gave him to us? He was lying there in a not-very-comfortable-looking makeshift crib filled with prickly pieces of hay. Wrapped in a cloth, of some type. I drew in a sharp breath, as I looked at him, lying there. He was so little. So amazing. So precious! I was captivated by him, so much so that everyone and everything else around me faded into the background, as I touched his tiny hand, with my finger. He grabbed onto me, as if he were holding on, for dear life! Like he never wanted to let me go. Something about that caused me to feel so wanted, and so loved by him, in a way that  I had never felt, with anyone else, before. It wasn't anything that I could easily explain, even to myself. I just knew that I felt a love, and a peace, and a hope that I had never, ever, felt before that moment. It was awesome! Although I didn't do this at the time, I suddenly felt like dancing and singing around the room, or something light-hearted, like that. I somehow felt carefree, as if all my cares, and concerns, were gone. As if someone else had come and lifted those off my shoulders. Part of me felt like I had simply suddenly lost my mind, while part of me knew that I had never felt more centered, or more sane, in my life, than I did in this moment, of encounter, with this baby boy. He was still grasping my finger tightly, with his little hand, as he looked into my eyes, and, although I know that it sounds silly, to say this, I felt like I was seen, really seen, for the first time in my life. And instead of that making me feel uncomfortable, due to my being so imperfect, I just felt so accepted! No one had ever really made me feel like that, before. So completely wanted, loved, seen, and, accepted! "What child is this?!?" I asked, out loud, to no one in particular, around me, but the only answer to that came from that whisperer, inside me:

"This, this is Christ the King,

  Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing
  Haste, haste, to bring Him praise,
  The Babe, the Son of Mary."

Wow! I had just met the Son of God! I had heard about Him, only now, I had encountered Him, for myself. I was amazed. I was awestruck. And I knew that from now on, I would never be the same. My life would never be the same. And Christmas! That would never be the same for me either! The Savior--- MY Savior--- came into my home. But even more than that, He came into my heart. I had heard the Christmas story, read from the Bible, every year, around this time. It had kind of seemed like all the other holiday stories that I had been told, from the time I was a young child. With all those other tales, they sounded nice, but just didn't really seem true. This story seemed interesting, to me--- that a baby could, and would, be born into this world, which was God's, only begotten, Son! To take our sins upon Himself, saving us, from the penalty, for those sins, by His fulfilling that righteous requirement on our behalf--- for us!--- because of His love for us! As He lay sleeping, serenely, now, I just stared at Him. I marveled, at the fact, that this newborn baby had come, to Earth, and made everything, about everything, in my life, feel new too! The birthday boy of Christmas. "Happy birthday, Jesus!" I whispered softly, so as not to wake Him, after His long journey, from heaven to my heart. Now I knew it, too: "For God so LOVED the world, that HE GAVE His only Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." Then I lifted my eyes upward, toward heaven, and I said, quietly,

"Thank You! It's the Perfect Gift, for me!"

Although the Christmas tree lights were still on, they seemed to suddenly go dark as the room grew extremely bright, from some other light source, now. At first, because of the brightness, I couldn't really see, where that was coming from. It felt like I was trying to stare at the sun, and my eyes partially closed against the intensity of this light. I shielded my eyes, with my one free hand, since the Baby would not let go of my finger even as He slept. Then my mouth dropped open, from the sheer shock, of what I was seeing, although all of this that was happening now left me feeling like I was in some other realm altogether, rather than here on Earth. There was a very tall person, standing there, saying to me: "Fear not. I bring you good news, of great joy, which shall be to all people. For, to you, is born, this day, a Savior, called Jesus, who is Christ, the Lord. And this is a sign, to you: You find the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Then a group of these beings appeared right before my eyes, causing me to believe in them, even more than I ever had in Santa Claus. They stood there, praising God, by saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." When they vanished from view after that, I looked back down at Baby Jesus. He was still holding onto my hand, as  if He would never let me go, now! I had been kneeling by this thing, that he was laying in; this "manger", they had called it . . . ever since I had gotten onto the floor, to pull all the packaging and paper away which was left there from all the--- other--- presents, to find where that sweet sound had been coming from underneath all of that, and had discovered Him, there. He woke, and fixed His gaze on me, returning mine at him, and I just knew that He belonged to me; but, even more, than that, I somehow knew, in my heart, that I belonged to Him. Now, and forever!

So, still kneeling, I said, to Him, almost like a prayer, "No one has ever made me feel this way before. I not only want You in my life, always, but I can't even imagine it without You in it, ever again. None of the holiday lights or anything else ever made me feel truly happy, or whole, on the inside, like I feel now because of You." My eyes filled with tears as I looked lovingly at His sweet face, and I told Him, "We belong together. You belong to me, and I belong to You. I feel like I can overcome any obstacle, now, in my life because You are in it, with me, now." Then, I heard that whisper, inside me, almost as if it were saying to me what this little Child could not, then, telling me, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Without knowing how I knew, I knew that this was true, and I felt so much love and joy and a freedom that I couldn't put into words. Then, I realized, with a feeling of complete surprise, that the 'empty space' inside of me that I could never really seem to find or fill, was no longer there! That troubling void was gone, now.  I didn't feel empty, inside, anymore. Tears of relief welled up in my eyes. Somehow, I felt like I was finally saved, after always feeling that I had been lost, before; wandering through this life in search of somewhere, or someone, where I really belonged; which I couldn't even begin to describe, but I knew was missing from my life. I whispered to the baby boy, "I want You in my life! I need You in my life! Please be with me, always. From now on. I don't want it to be like it was, for me, before You came. I felt like such a misfit before, somehow, but now I feel like I'm who I am supposed to be, what I am supposed to be, and where I am supposed to be. I know that everything will work out, for me, now. For the best. Whatever that is. I trust You! Not even knowing, for sure, how that will happen does not stress me out, like it did, before You showed up in my life. I just feel like, everything, that I truly need, showed up, in my life, when You did! With You. From You. Because of You. I can't really put what I am feeling into words right now. But, I just have to tell You, for some reason, that I know for sure, that Your coming into my life today SAVED ME! I always just felt so lost, somehow, before. Now, I feel like You are my best friend, and that we will always be together. I love You! Thank You for being such a blessing to me just by being who You are! I am so glad You are here, with me, now. I just know that we're going to be together, forever, and I am so grateful, and so glad, about that!" Just as I finished, saying these things to Him, from my heart, He closed His eyes, beginning to fall asleep again. Trusting me in all that I had said to Him, He finally let go of my finger. After all, He really didn't have to keep hold of my finger, to know, we would, always, be with one another, from now on.

He had my heart!

After years, of my getting presents, that, even when they were what I thought I wanted, never seemed to satisfy my deepest needs for some reason, I finally got the greatest Christmas Gift ever given to me! My Savior, Lord and Best Friend, Jesus Christ; the Messiah! The other gifts had seemed great at first; then, not so great, somehow; and I never really knew why that was.  I just knew that something was missing, with all those things. None, of all that, had ever really satisfied me. In my soul. Because of that I always ended up feeling that vague, but persistent, emptiness, inside. Now that this holy infant had come into my life, I finally felt like I had gotten what I really needed, and wanted, all along; that I just hadn't realized, before. I was beginning to be able to hear that whisper, within me, alot better now, too! Just as I had that very thought, it said, to me, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow." My very favorite Christmas carol began playing on the CD player then. It seemed like the perfect lullaby for this infant, as He finally drifted off to sleep once again; seemingly reassured, by my decision, that we would always be together, now that He had come. Into my life. Into my heart. . . . "Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace." God's Gift, to me, was this Baby! It was, and will always be, the Perfect Gift, for me! My gift to Him was my heart, which was exactly what He wanted, too!

References for this post:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16 NKJV)

"the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:17 NIV)

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36 KJV)

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV)

"In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, 'Ananias!' 'Yes, Lord,' he answered. The Lord told him, 'Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.'" (Acts 9:10-12 NIV)

From Wikipedia.org, regarding the definition of a (spiritual) "vision": "A vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or religious ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that usually conveys a revelation. . . ."

"I am the LORD your God. I am holding your hand, so don't be afraid. I am here to help you." (Isaiah 41:13 CEV)

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7 NLT)

"And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life." (1 John 5:20 NLT)

Which, of the 4 gospels, tells the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus?

The birth of Jesus is described in Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 1:18 - 2:23.

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:1-5 NLT)

"Who gave Himself as the redemption price for all--a fact testified to at its own appointed time" (1 Timothy 2:6 Weymouth New Testament)

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:11 - 12)

". . . He will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV)

"There is only one God, and Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God. Jesus was truly human, and he gave himself to rescue all of us." (1 Timothy 2:5 CEV)

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28 NKJV)

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'” (John 8:12 ESV)

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow." (James 1:17 Berean Study Bible)

Resources for this post:

"White Christmas"

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white

Songwriter: Irving Berlin

"We Need a Little Christmas"

Haul out the holly;
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.
Fill up the stocking,
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now.
For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute.
It hasn't snowed a single flurry,
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry;
So climb down the chimney;
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen.
Slice up the fruitcake;
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.
For I've grown a little leaner,
Grown a little colder,
Grown a little sadder,
Grown a little older,
And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder,
Need a little Christmas now . . .
For we need a little music,
Need a little laughter,
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafter,
And we need a little snappy
"Happy ever after, "
Need a little Christmas now . . .
Songwriter: Jerry Herman

[Part of the lyrics from the song] "O Holy Night"
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope - the weary world rejoices.
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees.
O hear the angels' voices.
O night divine,
O night when Christ was born.
O night divine, o night,
O night divine.
Songwriter: Adolphe Adam

[Part of the lyrics from the song] "I've Just Seen Jesus"

I've just seen Jesus 

I tell you he's alive
I've just seen Jesus
Our precious Lord alive
And I knew, he really saw me too
As if till now, I'd never lived
All that I'd done before
Won't matter anymore
I've just seen Jesus
And I'll never be the same again

Songwriters: Danny Daniels, Gloria Gaither, William J. Gaither

"What Child Is This?"

What Child is this
Who laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come Peasant, King to own Him
The King of Kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Oh, raise, raise a song on high,
His mother sings her lullaby.
Joy, oh joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe,
The Son,
Of Mary. . . .
Songwriter: William Chatterton Dix

"Silent Night"
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
'Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia!
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born!
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth
Songwriters: lyrics by Joseph Mohr; music by Franz Gruber

Video: "Christmas/Jesus; No Better Gift" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4-puGte31o

Video: "He is the Gift" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjFEMmM0Xs

Song "He Made A Way In A Manger" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGNhKdjdRO8&feature=youtu.be

"What Time Is It?" (A Devotional I Wrote)

We live in Time on Earth. Eternity is endless existence. This scripture applies to our life, now:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

This is a great Daily Checklist, for our spirit, as far as not only our intent, but our motive. This scripture, like all scripture, can help to keep us on track, and away from causing there to be a train wreck, of our lives, which happens when we live our lives in opposition to God's Word. If I'd simply stopped, and asked myself, "What time is it?", spiritually speaking, especially at key junctures, in my life, I could have avoided alot of the heartache that I have suffered in this life, from my not being properly pensive prior to making important choices, that affected my future. The saddest time to live in is that of it now being 'too late'. The choice is made; the die is cast. It is what it is.

We constantly wrestle with decisions, about what to do, in our lives, at a certain time. Today, I recognized that it was not the time for me to go to the grocery store after hearing the forecast and finding out that tomorrow it will be much less humid and about 10 degrees cooler. Since I walk to the store, about a half hour each way, for a distance of just over 2 1/2 miles, and plan to buy some frozen food items, deciding what time is right, to go, is important to the outcome. In today's heat, and humidity, neither I nor the frozen corn would have been at our very best!

Being aware of our mortality as one verse also speaks of should help us to prioritize what it is that we do each day. Whatever That is that we do with our time today, we are exchanging one day of our lifetime for That! Is whatever That is worth it? Answering the question "What time is it?", using the scripture verses, above, as the guideline, for determining that, helps us to know with more certainty. There's a time to do something and a time to not do something in this life, and no one can really know what time that is, for us, in our pilgrimage on this Earth, except for God, and, sometimes, ourselves. Asking God, about these things, can help us to know. Prayer is important, as well as scripture, and I also, unapologetically, believe in Signs*. I believe God wants to communicate with us about the very life that He has given us to live for His Glory and that He will use a limitless number of an infinite variety of things to help us to know what time it is, in our lives, as far as what we are to do, or not do, and when. We need to seek His wisdom.

These Bible verses really have something to say about any and every situation that we face, if we will just allow them to do their work, in our day-to-day lives, by leading us to wisdom, in our decisions. They cover anything that could possibly be on our TO DO List, of which we wonder, all throughout our lives, usually on a daily basis, if not even moment-to-moment, if the answer to each question, that we face, large or small, is "Yes", "No", or, "Wait". To paraphrase William Shakespeare's soliloquy, by Hamlet, in Hamlet**: 'To Do, or Not To Do; that IS the question!' It is important, to do our best, to do what we should do, and at the right time, to avoid some of the unnecessary heartache from our not doing that, which I can attest to, first hand, because I did not utilize the available assistance, of God's Word, the way that I should have, when I was younger. Now, I won't do a thing without it as I try to mitigate more brokenness in me by doing things God's way to the best of my knowledge. God is not trying to deprive us. God is trying to protect us. Ever since the Fall of Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, we humans have not trusted that this is God's Plan, indeed His very heart, for us. In our making our decisions, then, apart from what He has clearly instructed us to do, as our Creator, we have brought those bad consequences upon ourselves, and others. We cannot blame God for our rebellion, or its pain.

What is it time to do in your life? What is it time that you stop doing in your life? What time is it?

*Some scripture regarding signs:

1 Samuel 10:7
"It shall be when these signs come to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for God is with you."

Isaiah 38:7
"This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken . . . ."

2 Chronicles 32:24
"In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill; and he prayed to the LORD, and the LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign."

Joshua 24:17
"for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs in our sight and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed."

Luke 2:12
"This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

1 Samuel 14:10
"But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hands; and this shall be the sign to us."

Jeremiah 44:29
"'This will be the sign to you,' declares the LORD, 'that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for harm.'"

**Speech: “To be, or not to be, that is the question”

By William Shakespeare

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

And by opposing end them. . . .

I Remembered It Was Iszak's Birthday . . .

                               [This is one of my Christian devotionals which I wrote]

I moved to a different apartment during the late summer, in a new neighborhood for me, and got to know the staff of the nearby family discount store fairly well as I frequently bought things from there in the process of my getting settled. Being mindful---  most of the time---  to try to reflect God's love to others, in a more personalized way whenever possible, in my sphere of influence as a Christian, I made a mental note to myself one day when the store manager, Iszak, told me in our conversation at the checkout that his birthday was (months from then but) a few days before Christmas. Then, I wrote it down on my calendar as soon as I got home, before I could forget it amidst all the other things I had going on in my own life to think about. I felt that it would be meaningful to him for me to honor him with that acknowledgement, come December, with me also planning to thank him, once again, on that day, for all his help to me. 

I regularly went to him with my ever-evolving list of things that I needed or wanted in my life but wasn't finding easily, or at all, on my own, and he always graciously made himself available to help guide me to the right thing at the right time, meeting my needs. Iszak was always a very diligent worker, which included his willingly, even graciously, taking the time to listen attentively regarding my ongoing search for whatever it was that I was looking for at the time in order to make my life more satisfying. As we talked together, over time, whenever I would stop in, with my list in hand, to find him still faithfully working to provide me and others with exactly what we were in need of, he sometimes shared with me how he felt unappreciated, in general, for all he was always doing to keep things going as conscientiously as he did, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. It was never ending, for him, and often a thankless-seeming cycle, to be sure!

I admired how he held up under all of that, while still remaining charitable toward everyone, especially when it was clear at times that he was wearied by the extensive ingratitude, sometimes even feeling drained by the demands placed on him. It was a fairly thankless position, that he was in, and it was obvious that the return, on the investment of himself, seemed to be much less, by comparison. He wasn't really a complainer, by nature, either. He was just honestly stating the facts when he described how one-sided it often felt to him, with him giving his all while receiving so little in return from so many! He was definitely worth more, for being who he was, and for doing what he did, than he was often treated like.

When my calendar informed me in December that Iszak's birthday had finally arrived, the designated day to celebrate his taking his place on this planet to make his mark on it, including all the things he accomplished through his work, which I directly benefited from, and truly appreciated, I went over to the store to seek him out. While also getting what I needed for myself, to prepare for what the weather man was assuring us would be a significant change coming along with the first day of winter, I found Iszak there, still faithfully working as hard as ever, even on his own birthday. I told him that I had taken note of the fact that this day was his birthday, heartily wishing him the very best day, thanking him again for all that he did to help me, and spending some time talking with him about what the events of the day meant through his eyes. 

Seeming unused to such mindful care being shown toward him, he thanked me, after recovering from the sheer shock of the sentiments shown him. He was so used to doing all of his work, often behind the scenes, day in and day out, largely unnoticed, unless someone sought him out with a complaint, or they needed something from him that they hadn't been able to get, on their own, that he hardly knew how to receive the honor and thanks that I was giving him, for what he did for me and everyone else, all the time. I had just wanted to let him know, especially on this significant day to him personally, that he, and all that he always did for me, mattered to me, and that I appreciated him. He deserved to know that, directly from me.

The next morning, in the early quiet, while I was giving my praise and adoration to God as I do every day, because of the intimate relationship we share, and because of His joy, in receiving that from me, I was mindful of the approaching birthday of my Savior, also. I thought about the challenge we have as humans, who are all too often preoccupied, distracted, multitasking, life-juggling people, to not only consciously center Jesus foremost in our celebration of Christmas, but at times to even remember to invite or include Him at all, in the midst all the activities that surround this holiday. But it's His birthday!

As I recalled the care I had taken to note the date of Iszak's upcoming birthday, months ahead of time, in order for me to remember to personally honor him when the day finally came, by my acknowledgement of its significance to him, along with my simply taking the time to seek him out, and thank him, on that day, I felt a blush of shame, and a pang of sadness, from my sudden realization that in the many Christmas memories I have from over the years, of family, food, holiday lights, music, and presents, MY SAVIOR, Jesus, seemed to be conspicuously absent from much of that. And it's HIS birthday!

Christmas far too often seems to be about our celebration of so many other things, than His birthday, among us. He gets forgotten, or forsaken, under piles of glittery gift wrap, festively decorated cookies, and shiny new purchases beckoning us to explore and enjoy them. But it's His birthday! HIS birthday. So much of the time, it seems, our including Him at all has been relegated to only being an afterthought, at best. Christmas is also often remembered as being either a 'good' or 'bad' day by us, based on how things unfolded for us, in our interactions and experiences on this special day, with hardly a thought in our heads about whose birthday it actually is, or how the day went for Him. I wondered to myself why we so often have so much trouble keeping in mind what the celebration is truly for?

We humans are always so personally needy! And that very neediness can cause such selfishness in us. As Jesus' birthday, the Christmas celebration really isn't even about us, as much as it is FOR us! Because it's HIS birthday! And He was born to die, FOR us. That precious baby, lying asleep amidst the livestock, "did come for to die" as the carol 'I Wonder As I Wander' describes. We are to celebrate the birthday of Jesus because He was born, among us, as Emmanuel---  God WITH us!---  and through His coming, living, and dying FOR US we are redeemed from our sin and SET FREE by Him, to live eternally, and joyfully, with Him! That all began, for us, with His birthday. That is worth our taking note of, our honoring Him, and our celebrating, WITH Him!

While the ordinary people in our everyday lives are often so unused to being shown honor by us, or our actually celebrating them, as part of our appreciation for their contribution to our lives, that it causes them to be shocked when it happens like Iszak was on his birthday, God is also largely unused to being honored by many of us. However, with Him being God, He is also acutely aware that He alone is truly THE ONE deserving of being given all of our praise and appreciation!

God created us for a very personal relationship with Him, and our honoring Him on a regular basis, and especially on His own birthday, is a very important part of that. Happy Birthday, Jesus! I took note of the fact that it's Your special day today, and I want to thank You for all that You do every day, even on Your own birthday, to help me, and to guide me to exactly what I need from You, at any given time, in my life's journey. May those of us whom You have saved not ever neglect, or ever forget, to include You in our Christmas celebration.

          I Wonder as I Wander*

     I wonder as I wander out under the sky,

       How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.

       For poor on'ry people like you and like I...

    I wonder as I wander out under the sky.

              When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall,

                    With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all.

                  But high from God's heaven a star's light did fall,

        And the promise of ages it then did recall.

   If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,

    A star in the sky, or a bird on the wing,

         Or all of God's angels in heaven for to sing,

                He surely could have it, 'cause he was the King.

                           * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Wonder_as_I_Wander

Luke 17:11 - 19; John 5:17; Psalm 103:1 - 5; Luke 2:11 - 14; Revel. 4:11; Psalm 100:1 - 5