Hustle and Hurry

Advent candle - Stafford United Methodist Church - 2010

For many of us, sadly, the spirit of Christmas is "hurry." And yet, eventually, the hour comes when the rushing ends and the race against the calendar mercifully comes to a close. It is only now perhaps that we truly recognize the spirit of Christmas. It is not a matter of days or weeks, but of centuries - twenty of them now since that holy night in Bethlehem. Regarded in this manner, the pre-Christmas rush may do us greater service than we realize. With all its temporal confusion, it may just help us to see that by contrast, Christmas itself is eternal.

- Burton Hills

I still don't have everything done on my to-do list. And Christmas will come anyway.

Sometimes, I worship the to-do list instead of the season. Sad, but true, I'm afraid.

But the things that have most blessed me this holiday season don't have a thing to do with my to-do list.

I could have gotten more holiday goodies made if I'd stayed home last Sunday afternoon. But, instead, we went to a concert at the Great Bend First United Methodist Church. I heard beautiful Christmas music played by organist Brad Shirer and pianist Jenny Allford.

If I'd stayed home, I wouldn't have heard their collaboration on well-known songs of Christmas, like "O Holy Night!" and "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus."

After the concert, Jenny admitted their program hasn't varied much in the past 15 years. But she says she came to a realization: While she was practicing, the words of those old, familiar songs danced through her head.

It was the same for the audience. And it truly was a Joy to the World moment - over and over again.

If I had stayed home and worked on my voluminous to-do list, I wouldn't have been blessed by the beautiful stained glass windows of their sanctuary ...

Or the glow of candlelight through jewel-tone glass ...

Or a sanctuary bathed in a rosy glow from a skylight and the twinkle of hundreds of lights.

I wouldn't have heard one of my favorite Christmas hymns, "There's a Song in the Air." It's a carol from my childhood days at Byers United Methodist Church, but it often gets lost in the plethora of the more popular "Away in the Manger" and "Silent Night." I love those, too, but what a treat (and how appropriate) to hear:

There's a song in the air
There's a star in the sky
There's a mother's sweet prayer
And a baby's low cry
And the star reigns its fire while the beautiful sing
For the manger in Bethlehem
Cradles a King!

But I didn't have to go to another church to feel the spirit of Christmas. I could have stayed home last Sunday morning. I could have slept in or I could have crossed more things off my list.

But then I would have missed the beauty of heavy frost in the crisp December air as we drove to Stafford for church ...

I would have missed the lighting of the fourth Advent candle. I would have missed the choir anthem. I would have missed the fellowship with my friends.

While I was writing this, I got an email from a friend. And it was another confirmation of what I know in my heart:

"When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over."

Jill and Eric arrived last night. Brent got here Tuesday night. And I'm reminding myself that it's more important to "be" instead of "do." Play a game instead of making one more snack we don't need. Sit and talk instead of worrying about whether there are bows on the presents. The kids didn't pack their white gloves, so if the dusting didn't get done, nobody will notice anyway.

Hear the music of life. That's my prayer for you today, too!

Just Look Around

Last week, I was fretting about getting my Christmas decorations up. I host PEO tomorrow, and I didn't think the PEO ladies would want to see my Thanksgiving decorations on December 7.

I've been in the midst of three newsletter deadlines and all my normal "stuff." Then Brent graduates from K-State next Saturday, and, of course, that's a great reason for a party, complete with lots of food from the County Line kitchen.

I'm ashamed to admit my Christmas spirit was more "Bah Humbug" than "Joy to the World," even after a great start to Advent.

And then I got an email last week. It was from one of my favorite Christian singers, Matthew West.

Yes, I know it wasn't typed out especially to me. But, then again ... maybe it was, in a way.

Because it radically changed how I was looking at my week and my voluminous to-do list.

It's easy to get preoccupied with the little bumps and road blocks that come our way. The one line I remember from my high school play was "Oh woe is me! Oh lack-a-day!"

Why do I remember that stupid line when I don't even remember the name of the play? Maybe it's because, too often, I get tripped up with that "Oh woe is me!" feeling, despite my best efforts to be a positive light of Christ in this world.

And then I look around. And I meet a boy named Dax through a Matthew West song. And I think about how blessed I am ... each and every day. Even when I'm tired. Even when I'm discouraged. Even when I'm struggling.

And a little boy named Dax and his family and his community and even the world help me remember what Christmas is truly about.

Matthew West writes:

Like all the songs on The Story of Your Life, this song has a story. But the way the story came to me was unique. I received three different stories from three different people all in this small town in Illinois whose lives have been impacted by the life of a 2-year-old boy named Dax. At just 13 months old, little Dax was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. He was given two bone marrow transplants as a part of emergency treatment; one from each of his parents. The doctors then told his parents that Dax would most likely not make it to see Christmas.

Well, this song is inspired by the true story of the love of a family, and the coming together of an entire community to make sure that this little boy could have one last Christmas. His dad, determined that his son would see Christmas, put up the decorations early. The neighborhood caught on, and did the same. The whole town soon followed suit. A website was built telling his story. Soon, pictures were sent from all over the world of Christmas decorations that had been put up in his honor. Incredible!

Dax did lose his battle with leukemia, but not before he got to see one last Christmas. Today, this little boy’s legacy lives on, and his parents are making sure it does. They were so touched by the care they received from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, that they now have a desire to raise enough money to run the entire hospital for one day in honor of their son, Dax. The total cost to run St. Jude’s for one day is $1.6 million dollars. Already, they have raised a quarter of a million dollars.

So, just look around, Kim. Yes, the Christmas spirit is alive and well. You just need to open your eyes ... and your ears ... and your heart.

(By the way, I truly do love it when the house is dressed up for Christmas. I'm not a Scrooge ... really! I love the lights on the tree and the sparkle of favorite ornaments. It's looking quite festive around here. More on that later ...)

But, for now, I hope you'll take time to listen to "One Last Christmas." I pray that the song and story touch your heart, too, and that you'll find the true Spirit of Christmas found in a little boy named Dax and a baby named Jesus - no matter the length of your to-do list or the busyness of life.