Every year I mentally vow to truly focus on the real reason for the Christmas Season.

About mid-December, my focus has somehow been sabatoged by Scrooge-like shoppers or the never ending “to do” list that accompanies this time of year.

But, this year was different!

Assisted by a couple of Christmas devotionals, I met the distractions head on, determined to “Rejoice” as the angels proclaimed and revel in the presence of Immanuel, God with us!

And my reward? I experienced “Peace on Earth, Good Will towards Men”.

(Which included all those crabby shoppers.)

Seriously, I found moments in the Christmas Story that jumped out at me as if I hadn’t heard them a thousand times before.

Take Mary for example;

~I decided my goal for 2014 was to be more like Mary!~

She found favor with God!

Wow! I want that on my resumé!

And the Angel pointed it out twice!!!

Despite the difficult situations she was bound to encounter being unwed and suddenly “with child”, she humbly and obediently declared her service to the Lord.

How I wish I could honestly say that I moved on everything God asked me to do without worrying what others would think.

I am sometimes slow to obey, and humility is even harder to come by.

How was the young, teen Mary able to respond with the wisdom of a seasoned Christian?

Unfortunately, the love, peace & joy I now cherish in response to life’s circumstances, have all come to be a part of my life by being learned the hard way.

What a heritage to accept God’s will without challenging His sovereignty; to accept His direction with griping or complaining.

I know it is easy to jump on the bandwagon berating today’s youth about lacking these traits.

But truth be told, those of us in our 40’s, 50’s & 60’s coould learn alot from the humble, obedience of Mary.

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I just had the best Christmas ever!

I truly believe it was because of my diligence in seeking to see Jesus as the true Reason for the Season for the past couple of weeks.

So, my goal this next year is to be diligent  in being a little bit more like Mary;

Accepting God’s will and direction without hesitation. Acting on His word to see it fulfilled.

Thinking more about the future of the world and less about me.

Allowing the Holy Spirit to move in my life, unhindered.

What about you? We can all learn the hard way through years of experience,

or we can learn a lesson from Mary and declare,

“I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled!” (Luke 1:38)

Love,

Pazazdance