Birthday Reflections -- An Occasion for Worship

As I am always blessed by birthday greetings and some gifts on my birthday, I am grateful for great family and friends.  As I age, though, my birthday is not the occasion for excitement it once was. This year, I thought of my birthday in a different way.  I have been given an existence, and I am fortunate enough to have a life of much abundance.  I was so glad and thankful for having the opportunity to be an influence, to try to glorify God, and to behold all He has done.

I realize I am more fortunate than so many people, and I hope I do not take that for granted.  I should be appreciative of who I am, since God had something important in mind allowing me to be.  Rather than this being a time of selfishly getting "mileage" out of it, a birthday can be a time of being thankful for oneself.  Each life has the potential to be a brilliant reflection of Christ. Further, each birthday is a marked occasion to praise God for the opportunity we have to know God and be in His presence.

Keeping Focus at Christmas

Each year, at my favorite time of year, I think of trying to really honor the reason for this time of celebration.  I see and know that busyness, materialism, and the desirable obligation of visiting with family can obstruct my simple meditation and focus about Christmas.  Now as the holiday season wanes, I ponder how I honored God and His expression of love through Christ.  I guess I did about what I usually do, and I am not happy about that.

We fret about how much money we are spending, and this discomfort and struggle epitomizes a mistake some of us have made with this occasion.  Then, busyness enhanced by various obligatory gatherings leaves us wanting for that careful, personal contemplation of this wonderful celebration.  I really get sad thinking about it.  I love the great hope of Christmas.  It is the great great truth and meaning in my life.  Finally, my celebration is a mix of traditional, secular ideas about Christmas and a sincere honoring of the birth and life of Jesus.  Personally, I find this a bit disappointing.

While I do not think I have dishonored God, I see it as representative of my casualness at times about my faith.  I have too often allowed the importance of this Christmas season to be diminished to the level of other human expressions of the holiday.  Despite these concerns, God's grace and compassion are as great as ever.  His mercy abounds.  The love and peace of the season still transcends all distractions.  This precious and powerful truth makes me long for (already) the wonderful anticipation of Christmas that begins to grow soon after Thanksgiving.

May God bless you in this new year, and I hope the truth and Spirit of Christmas abides with and captures your heart throughout the year!  God is good and His grace is amazing.