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Christmas 2007--a time when my calendar filled up fast as I crammed school, church, and social activities into an already crowded schedule; a time when I stood in lines at the department stores excited about the great savings I obtained on my Christmas purchases; a time when I baked favorite holiday treats to share with friends and family; and of course I can't forget the most common phrase that probably rang throughout every household during the holiday season, "What do you want for Christmas?"Why was it so important to ask that question? Obviously the answer is simple; I wanted to be able to give that special gift to those I love. Did you ever stop and ponder what God might want for Christmas?
God desires something from all of us. He desires first of all for us to know Him personally as our Lord and Savior. But He also desires for us to know Him intimately as we spend time with Him in His Word and in prayer. The greatest gift that we could have given to God this Christmas was ourselves . . . being willing to surrender our lives totally to Him. This also includes being willing to surrender our choices and decisions that we will make in the upcoming new year.
As I pondered this concept myself over Christmas, I began to realize that much of what transpired in 2007 was centered on opportunities I had to submit my desires to Him and to trust Him with all my cares and concerns. At times this was extremely difficult and even resulted in tears as I wrestled with God about various matters. However, ultimately I knew that God loved me deeply and allowed me to experience difficult times in order that my faith and trust in Him would deepen thereby making me more like Christ. I can honestly say that the Lord has become very precious to me this year as I have learned to replace Him with what I have valued so dearly in my life -- my family.
I have learned to rejoice in God's goodness and to be thankful for the many blessings that He has given to me this year. Some of these blessings include great friendships that have developed with new friends as well as enjoying the "old" ones. Other blessings of this year included the salvation of our granddaughter, Ashlyn; our two oldest granddaughters being baptized this summer; and two new grandbabies that were added to our family: Benjamin Chase and Krista Joy. I also enjoyed the extra opportunities that I had to be with Dan, Karis, Kayla, & Krista since they will be leaving for Africa in 6 months. 2007 allowed Don & me to have them for the whole month of January, to enjoy a family vacation together with them in Canada for my mother-in-law's 75th birthday this summer, to fly out to Virginia when Krista was 2 weeks old, to enjoy a week of hunting with Dan and my nephew Brad, and to spend an amazing Christmas together. Even Lauren and her family were able to join all of us for a family photo shoot. Our house was full of life with the squeals of 6 grandchildren. We made lasting memories this year and I am looking forward to being able share a few more special events together before Dan & Karis leave to serve the Lord in Cameroon, Africa in June.
As you enter 2008, can I challenge you to ponder what special gift you can give God this year? We do not know what lies ahead for us this coming year, but we do know Who is in control. As we yield our plans, our ambitions, our decisions, etc to Him, He will give us the grace and the power to carry out what He desires for us to accomplish. I can honestly say that I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for our family this coming year. My prayer is that my walk with Him will be deeper and that my love for Him would be greater as I continue submitting myself totally to God.
