Star Gazing

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. Matthew 2:10


Do you ever get so overwhelmed by your to-do list that you aren't sure where to begin? I do this often. I'm a great list maker. I am not, however, great at keeping up with my list. I often make multiple lists, which I'll later lay down somewhere and, subsequently, forget where I laid them.

When I'm at school, I'll mentally think of all of the things I need to accomplish at home. When I'm home, I think of all of the things I could be doing at school. There's always something to do.

It can become overwhelming when I think too much about it. I also have some sort of attention deficit when it comes to accomplishing things: I start on one task, will become distracted mid-task by another task I could be doing, and begin on a second task... lather, rinse, repeat. Pretty soon, it's the end of the day and I've accomplished nothing.

We're busy. Always. Sometimes, tasks are necessary. Other times, we're just chasing our tails.

I wonder how much we miss amid all of the busy-ness in our lives? How many sweet moments have passed me by because I was, simply, too busy to pay attention?

I struggle with the mom-guilt of telling my girls to wait while I finish whatever. I tell them "I can't do that right now, I'm trying to do this." and I quickly realize how many little moments I'm missing. Yes, kids need to learn to wait sometimes. Yes, some things need my attention immediately. Yes, I have mom/wife things I need to accomplish at home. But, how can I be sure that I'm prioritizing the right things?

Approaching Christmas, God has really been stirring some things in my heart.

One is this: slow down.

God brought to mind the wise men in the story of Christmas. After the Baby had been born in Bethlehem, these brilliant gentlemen were, no doubt, going about their normal duties. I imagine they were busy; people looking to them for wisdom and advice. I'm sure they had responsibilities... maybe families, maybe a wife and children who needed their time. But somehow, in the middle of their normal lives, they noticed a star. A star!

This stirs in my heart... if something were to show up in the sky --a star-- would I even notice?

There are times when I'm hustling myself and the girls to and from the car in the evening. It's dark out. It's been a long day. Sometimes, I'm by myself while Shawn is at work. We've been here or there and are trying to get inside the house. I'm mentally going through what needs to be done to prepare for bedtime and for the next day while gathering up our belongings from this day. But, regularly, Madeline will say, "Where moon go?" and we'll pause to look. For that brief moment, we'll stop in our tracks and look up to the sky. On a clear night, I'll stand in awe as I see the twinkling of the countless stars that seem to go on forever. I'll see the moon shining brightly above our home, and then look to Madeline, whose face lights up as she smiles and proclaims, "Dere it is!"

The wisest men of their day in that area, I wonder if they looked to the sky, smiled, and proclaimed, "There! There it is!" Something so small, yet so significant. They were so busy, yet slowed down long enough to notice something that was probably overlooked by so many. I wonder how many other people looked into the sky that night and just saw another star. Another dark night. Another moon. And "just' another star.

Yet, for these gentlemen, God showed it to them in a completely different way.

I feel like I've heard and read the Christmas story a million times. We know the story. But, do you ever hear something that you've heard before, but this time, it catches you in a whole new way? That's been the Christmas story for me this year. I keep hanging on to different details while the Holy Spirit works to show me something new and so sweet. It's been a precious time for me and I'm so thankful.

My girls are so excited for Christmas this year. Norah sings, "Jesus, Jesus, Oh what a wonderful child!" while Madeline runs around carrying her baby Jesus from her Little People Nativity set. It excites me because I remember loving Christmas as a kid. Traditions that stay with me now, some that I do with my own family, and some new ones that we've created of our own.

My prayer for myself is to take time to enjoy the small things. Notice the things that go un-noticed. Catch those sweet smiles, inhale those precious smells, listen to those beautiful sounds, and just take it all in. Let go of the agenda. Stop worrying about what's to come. Embrace the now.

I'm so looking forward to Christmas morning in church. The last time Christmas fell on a Sunday was the year Norah was born. It was 10 days after her birthday and I remember feeling SO terrible after my C-section, high blood pressure, and days on IV magnesium. But, I was determined to make Norah's first Sunday in church to be on Christmas. 5 years later, I'm so thankful for that little memory.

Where else would you want to be on Christmas? Presents are great. Spending time with family is great. Traditions are great. But, the reason for all of this is the gift from God... His Son. Jesus makes it all possible. Jesus is the reason. So, this Christmas, I will slow down from the busy-ness. I will walk away from the yummy food. I will forget about paper and bows. I will clean up that mess later. I will pause everything and enter into His sweet presence.  I will be intentional about giving thanks to God for His incredible gift. A gift that, not only helps me day to day, but also seals my forever in Him.

That's why I celebrate.
That's why I sing.
That's why I am.
That's what I'll do.

Oh, come, let us adore Him.