the night before Christmas

Posted on by Grace Day

There have been a lot of them – “nights before Christmas” – two thousand twenty-four such nights to be exact, since the original night when Jesus was born. Today, in many cultures, this night before Christmas, Christmas Eve, is considered sacred. It is observed in different ways around the world. One of the better-known descriptions of Christmas Eve is found in Clement Moore’s poem – “Twas the Night Before Christmas” which begins like this-

“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.”

Sounds pretty quiet (“not a creature was stirring”) – sounds like they were prepared for the guest they were expecting (“the stockings were hung”) – sounds like they were ready to receive their anticipated guest, Santa, whenever he arrived. However, what it doesn’t sound like or describe is the first Christmas Eve when Jesus was born. That first Christmas Eve, no one was prepared, no one was even keeping watch, and it was anything but quiet. A better description of that first Christmas Eve might be-

Twas the night of the arrival of the long-awaited King, but no one watched or waited, none expected such a thing

Even though all the prophets had predicted the Messiah’s arrival, people grew weary in the waiting, focused solely on survival

because life was hard for everyone, as slaves they were greatly oppressed- they were waiting for a warrior, a baby they never would have guessed

would be the One to set them free, to deliver them from their plight – not a soldier, but a Savior, God gave the world that night.

He was born in a stable since all the inns were filled, but not a one took notice, except the angels who were thrilled –

the angels proclaimed to the shepherds this miracle of Jesus’s birth, then the shepherds hurried to worship Him, God’s gift to all on earth.

A brilliant star arose over the place where Jesus lay, guiding shepherds and the wise men on their journey’s way –

“Peace on earth, good will to men”, the angels all proclaimed – as they left, the shepherds heard their glad refrain – the world would never be the same –

Immanuel! Immanuel! God has come with us to dwell!

Peace on earth, good will to men. God’s forgiveness breaks the power of sin!

Immanuel! Immanuel! God has come with us to dwell!

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’ ” (Matthew 1:23)

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ ” (Luke 2:10-12)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Praise God for the gift of His Son!

sincerely, Grace Day

whose birthday is it, anyway?

Posted on by Grace Day

Did you ever go to a birthday party and not know whose birthday you were celebrating? That could be embarrassing, right? If you’re invited to the party, the assumption is that you know and have some kind of a relationship with the person whose birthday is being celebrated. You might be a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, a classmate – but you are connected to the guest of honor in some way, or you wouldn’t have received an invitation to the party.

Currently, preparations are underway all around the world for Christmas. Christmas is a birthday party with the largest guest list ever, because every single person receives an invite to the birthday party of the Christ child, Jesus, whose birthday we celebrate every December 25th. Many accept the invitation, many attend the party, many participate in some or all of the festive activities, decorating with dazzling lights, exchanging gifts, eating the food, baking the cookies, singing the songs of the season about the person they have come to celebrate, BUT – many do all these things without ever encountering the party’s guest of honor. Many never meet the person who is being celebrated at Christmas, God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine showing up for a friend’s birthday party, bringing them a gift, playing all the games, eating all the good food served, singing Happy Birthday to the person you have come to celebrate, eating the cake, and yet – you never actually come face to face with your friend, whose party it is? You don’t have a conversation with them, you don’t give them a hug or even wish them a Happy Birthday. You simply enjoy the fun activities of their party and the food and then you leave. Unimaginable, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe that anyone would be so near to the guest of honor and yet miss out on spending time with the friend they came to celebrate.

However, this is all too common with the birthday celebration that is Christmas. Christmas literally means – “Christ’s mass” or “Christ’s party.” Yet it is all too easy for guests to attend the party but never meet the guest of honor. Part of the problem might be the confusion over just who it is that we are celebrating at Christmas. (even though the name of the holiday contains the name of the person whose birth we are celebrating)

Nonetheless, Santa is often mistaken for the birthday boy. And why not? Santa seems to be everywhere I look during the month of December – either him or one of his many look a like imposters. Santa’s picture is prevalent as are Santa figurines, holiday clothes that bear Santa’s image and Santa lawn decorations. If aliens came to earth, I can’t help but think that they would conclude this month-long party is all about Santa Claus. Who could fault them for this error? It would be easy for anyone to infer that Santa must be the center of our celebration based on what they observe.

And one could argue that we spend more time preparing for Santa’s arrival than we do preparing to celebrate Jesus’s arrival and to receive Him. For Santa, we prepare a tasty treat or two and leave it along with a beverage and possibly some treats for Santa’s reindeer, next to the fireplace. We clean the chimney, light up the roof so Santa can find it more easily, hang up stockings for Santa to fill, and we make room under the tree for all the gifts we expect Santa to bring with him. We make room for Santa and invite him in. Children write him letters and seek him out at the mall for an audience of one, so they can make their requests known to him.

Not so with Jesus. Is anyone getting ready to receive Him? Is anyone preparing the way for Jesus to enter in? Is anyone making room? Or is there still today “no room at the inn” for the person whose birthday we are supposedly celebrating. It seems that in our culture at least, we throw the party, and it’s a party full of bright lights, fabulous food, lots of music and extravagant gift giving BUT – we forget to invite the guest of honor. We don’t make any room for Jesus (I guess all the Santas have filled every space) We have “Christmas parties” and Christ Himself isn’t even invited! These words never rang more true-

“He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11)

Too bad, because Jesus is a far better gift giver than Santa Claus.

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)

Santa brings with him toys, toys that eventually break or lose their allure and are discarded. What were the people in Jesus’s day receiving from Jesus?

“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:5)

Wow! And that’s not a complete list by any means. God’s gift of forgiveness of my sins and His gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus, is the greatest gift I will ever receive. God’s gift to you and to me and to the world, Jesus, is the reason we throw this huge party called Christmas every year.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The good news of Jesus’s birth is definitely worth celebrating – our Messiah, our Savior King has come! The party is planned, the invitations are issued. The only question is – has the guest of honor, the One whose birthday we celebrate been invited to His own party? Have we made room to receive Him? Have we cleared the way (or our calendars) so that Christ can enter into our lives as we celebrate His birth?

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

Make way! Make room! The King is coming! Let Him in!

sincerely, Grace Day

actually, it’s always Advent

Posted on by Grace Day

Advent – “the arrival of a notable person, thing or event.” I know we call this particular season or month of the year “Advent”, I guess because we are preparing to celebrate an Advent or event that happened more than two-thousand years ago – the arrival of God’s promised Messiah, Jesus. Jesus’s birth certainly fits the definition of “the arrival of a notable person” and His birth is also the most “notable event” in human history. Must be why we continue to remember and to celebrate Jesus’s birthday or Jesus’s Advent every year for the past two-thousand twenty-five years.

BUT – it occurs to me that we (humankind) have been in a state of preparing for Jesus’s Advent almost since the beginning of time. Adam and Eve weren’t long in that perfect garden before they decided to doubt God and believe the serpent instead, taking the serpent’s advice to eat some fruit from the forbidden tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The result of their doubt and disobedience? Their sin separated them from their holy Creator and they were put out of the garden. The curse of sin and death entered into our no longer peaceful nor perfect human experience. We have been in need of a Savior ever since the serpent succeeded in getting Eve to disobey God. But even as Adam and Eve were receiving God’s punishment, His words to them contained hope for the future of mankind. God’s curse contained a promise. In Genesis we read –

“So the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, . . . I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)

God promised that a particular offspring of a woman, “He”, would crush the serpent’s head even though the serpent would strike the rescuer’s heel. The latter would not be fatal, but the first would be, putting an eventual end to the power of sin and death.

“He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all the faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8)

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? . . . thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

The One born of a woman, Jesus, would have the final victory. Hope was present even in their darkest hour, the hour when they were banished from God’s good garden. They were banished, yes – BUT with God’s promise that a Savior would be sent to them to redeem what had been lost – themselves – their eternal souls. God’s redemptive plan was already in place –

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:18-21)

Did you catch that? Christ had already been “chosen before the creation of the world” – God knew we would need a Redeemer. So the anticipation of Advent really started when we were evicted from the perfect paradise of God’s Garden. Mankind lived in anticipation of the Advent of Christ’s arrival from that moment on until His birth in Bethlehem some four-thousand years later.

But Advent isn’t over. We are still waiting for another Advent. We continue to live in anticipation of Christ’s second Advent, when He comes again to set all things right. Jesus’s second Advent is promised to you and to me in Acts where we read this account –

“Jesus said to them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ After He (Jesus) said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.’ ” (Acts 1:7-11)

So the second Advent of Christ on earth is going to look very different from His first Advent’s appearance on earth. Jesus came first as a helpless baby in a manger. He will return as a conquering hero. We are told –

“So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. But in those days, following that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.” (Mark 13:23-27)

That Advent will be impossible to miss! In the meantime, until His second coming occurs – it’s always Advent. We are preparing again for the arrival of this notable person, Jesus, – preparing for this once in a lifetime event. Or at least we should be. We don’t want to be caught unaware – our instructions are clear in this regard –

“Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back -whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ” (Mark 13:33-37)

Good advice for me and for you – keep watch and wait – prepare and anticipate. These actions define and describe Advent well, I think. And we each have an assigned task! There is plenty to do in this Advent season of celebrating our Savior’s birth while simultaneously preparing to receive Him when He returns to earth to claim His bride, which is you and I and all who have longed for His appearing. And we are not alone in our longing and in our eager anticipation. No –

“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. . . . in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:19-23)

No wonder the anticipation of Advent is so great. We have been waiting long for the return of our Savior, just as those before us waited long for the birth of their promised Messiah, ever since their eviction from God’s garden paradise. Truly, it is always Advent. BUT – that is good news! With God’s promise ever before us, there is always something to hope for – the return of our Savior bringing redemption, restoration and eternal life. I definitely want to be ready to welcome and to receive Him when He comes again. After all, that’s the purpose of Advent – anticipation and preparation.

Join me at the watch party that is Advent. Together we can prepare for our Lord’s return.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

The King is coming! Make way! Make room! Prepare to let Him in!

sincerely, Grace Day

Advent – preparing a place

Posted on by Grace Day

“Joy to the world! the Lord is come; let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare Him room . . . ” – those are the words of the Christmas carol, “Joy to the World”, written by Isaac Watts in 1719. It’s still one of my favorite Christmas hymns today. Interesting in the opening lines of the hymn, Watts is talking about receiving and preparing. Seems to me, that’s what Advent is all about – preparing, preparing to receive the King of kings and Lord of lords.

People didn’t do a very good job of either one of these at Jesus’s first Advent. They were unprepared and consequently, unable to receive Him properly.

“He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11)

They had not prepared a place for Him, a place in which to receive Him. They had not made any room for Jesus at all. Luke makes that clear when he says –

“and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 1:7, italics mine)

I wonder why? Why was there no room? Why were they so uninformed about His arrival and therefore so unprepared to receive the Christ child? Their own scriptures and prophets had been talking about the coming of a Messiah for centuries. The Jewish people knew these prophesies by heart. Were they simply so busy living their everyday lives that they couldn’t take time out to prepare a place, to make a space, for the King of kings and Lord of lords to enter in? (sound familiar?)

You know what’s really ironic? We (humankind) couldn’t be bothered to prepare a suitable space in which to receive God’s only Son BUT – in a dramatic plot twist, this is exactly what God’s only Son, Jesus, is doing for you and for me right now. He’s preparing a place for us, even as I write these words! Jesus, Himself, said as much very clearly to His disciples while He was still with them. Jesus told them –

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

These words of Jesus give me great comfort, great joy of anticipation, perfect peace and hope – so much hope! I have something to look forward to that is a certainty because the words of Jesus are true. We may have had “no room in the inn” for Jesus when He came to live with us for awhile, but Jesus has a room, a special place, for each one of us that He is preparing personally Himself even now in anticipation of our arrival. Jesus didn’t receive a proper welcome into our world, no celebration, no fanfare – but you and I are going to receive a warm welcome, complete with celebration and rejoicing, into His kingdom.

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:7)

Jesus is creating space for me and space for you so that we can be with Him for eternity. Which begs the question – am I reciprocating? Am I creating space today for Jesus to enter in and abide with me? Or is my daily life too crowded? Am I too busy? Is my day so filled with other things that there’s no room in my life (in my inn) for Jesus? Are my affections so firmly fixed on other things that there’s nothing left of my heart for my Savior? Has all my love been allocated elsewhere?

These are the hard questions I need to answer if I am to adequately prepare for Advent – if I am to be ready for the arrival of my Savior King. I am going to have to clear some space in my calendar, in my heart and in my life to make way for the coming of the King. That’s what Advent is all about – preparing for the arrival, of the long-awaited Redeemer – the One God promised to mankind so long ago. We kind of missed Jesus’s first appearance, but we definitely won’t miss His second appearance, His second Advent, when He returns to earth to complete God’s rescue of us, His dearly loved children. His second Advent will be inescapable. It is described in this way –

“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.” (Mark 13:26-27)

No chance of that going unnoticed! But while we wait for this second Advent of Christ, we continue to celebrate His first Advent annually. We celebrate the day of His birth every year at Christmas, recalling the miraculous circumstances surrounding His birth including angels visiting Mary, Joseph, shepherds and wisemen, a special star in the sky, and angels rejoicing while the earth relegated the Christ child to a manger in a stable in a remote village called Bethlehem.

We need this celebration of Christmas to remind us just how much God loves each one of us. We need to remember to what lengths our Heavenly Father went to provide us a lifeline that would restore our broken relationship with Him. Just how far Jesus had to go to rescue us is described in Philippians –

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11)

The first Advent is about the baby, the second is about the conquering King. But I’m getting ahead of myself. For now, I will do like the Christmas carol says and let my heart prepare Him room today and every day. I will prepare a place and let the Christ child, the newborn King in. It’s time!

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

let Him in! His Advent is upon us!

sincerely, Grace Day

Anticipating Advent

Posted on by Grace Day

Today I turned my calendar to December and my thoughts toward Christmas. Time to put away my pumpkins and bring out nativity scenes and Santas. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to me. I’ve had plenty of reminders that it’s time to prepare for Christmas. On my street and in my neighborhood, Christmas lights have been on for a while now – so long in fact that these lights would find themselves competing with the Halloween lights on neighboring houses if said Christmas lights dared to appear any earlier than they already do.

This is why I call Thanksgiving the overlooked holiday – we go from Halloween decor straight to Christmas decor without a pause for the fabulous food holiday that is Thanksgiving. Or maybe we are just basically ungrateful because we don’t take the time to stop, count our many blessings and give God thanks for His enduring love and ever-present mercy.

But now that I am focused on Christmas, I can’t help but feel I am already behind since other homes appear to be better prepared for the season than I am at present. I love this season of Advent. It is a season of anticipation and of preparation and of hope. I am anticipating the arrival of the Christ child and I am (or should be) about the business of preparing to receive this long-awaited child.

Jesus’s first advent wasn’t exactly what those living at that time were expecting. In fact, they were caught completely off guard, totally unprepared to receive God’s gift to them. Had they stopped looking? Had they given up on God and on His promise to them that He would send them a Redeemer? Had they forgotten the prophesies of their own scripture or did they simply no longer believe it would ever come true? It had been too long. God had been too silent. Enter the Messiah. We read this account in John –

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:10-11)

Furthermore, not only did they not recognize Him, their desperately desired Messiah, they were too busy to make room for Him physically, which is probably why Jesus ended up being born in a stable. Luke tells us how it came about.

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:4-7)

No room for God’s only Son? No room for the One described this way in Isaiah?

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

They were unable to make room for Jesus in their inns, in their homes, in their synagogues, in their lives and in their hearts. I wonder, are you and I any different today?

Jesus’s birth had been prophesied for centuries but when “the time was right” and Jesus “became flesh and made His dwelling among us” no one (well hardly anyone except the shepherds, but an angel had to tell them about it and give them directions to where Jesus was) but basically no one noticed, no one welcomed Him, no one celebrated His birth (except the heavenly hosts who put on quite a concert) and no one prepared a place for Him to be received. The long-awaited Savior King came into the world and the world went on as if nothing had happened.

BUT – Advent says this life changing, earth shattering, totally miraculous event of Jesus’s birth shall not go unheralded, unnoticed, uncelebrated ever again. The weather here hinted at Advent’s nearness – it’s been snowing as I’ve been writing this. My Christmas cactus, which has been green for eleven months, today is suddenly red with buds waiting to open at the proper time. How does my cactus know it’s time to get ready for the birthday celebration?

I want to be prepared for the coming of my Savior King. I want to prepare a place for Him not just in my home but in my heart. I’ve got some cleaning to do, some rearranging of priorities. There is so much more to say about this wonderful miracle that took place when God came to earth to live among us – an event described like this –

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’ ” (Matthew 1:23)

Yes, there will be more to say as the days of Advent continue, but for now, I need to be about the business of getting ready for the coming of my King. I want to prepare the way for His coming and I join with the Psalmist in saying –

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty -He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

let Him in!

sincerely, Grace Day

who’s at your table?

Posted on by Grace Day

I love Thanksgiving but I often feel it is the forgotten or most overlooked of the holidays. I mean, what’s not to love? Food, family, football enjoyed without the pressure of shopping for and wrapping all those gifts – it’s the practically perfect holiday. And yet Thanksgiving is barely noticed, squeezed between the hype and hoopla of Halloween decor and overindulgent candy consumption and the equally hyped and hooplaed decor and demands of Christmas. Thanksgiving has no yard decorations heralding its coming or arrival. No wonder we forget to be thankful for the many blessings that we take for granted until any one of them is suddenly taken away from us without warning. Then we realize just how fortunate we truly are.

This Thanksgiving weekend people are gathering together around the table with family and friends to share a meal. Some of us are the hosts and some of us are the invited guests. Which begs the question, who do we invite to share our celebration of Thanksgiving? Who do we give a seat at our table? Full disclosure – this is on my mind because I’m currently doing Giglio’s study entitled “Don’t give the enemy a seat at your table.”

I’m reminded that I choose every day who gets a seat at my table and my choice of dinner guests makes a difference in the outcomes of my life. Dining companions make a difference. Who knew? Well, the apostle Peter knew. He issued a clear warning, saying –

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Message received – don’t invite him to share my meal or I will become the meal! I think this is what Mr. Giglio was talking about when he referred to not inviting my enemy to my table. My enemy is identified as the devil. He is not a presence I would want occupying a seat at my table. Consider his description in Revelation –

” . . . the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;” (Revelation 12:10-11)

Do I want the enemy of my soul to have my ear? (which he will have if I give him a chair beside me at my table) No, because he will falsely accuse me since he is the father of lies. He will fill me with doubt and fear. He is not a good dinner guest. Why would I invite him in and give him access to my life when I know this about him? He is described this way in John by Jesus –

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

And what about all my enemy’s false accusations? The antidote to lies is truth. I need to hear instead these words of truth.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

When I give the enemy a seat, he brings other unwanted guests with him to fill up any empty seats at my table. He invites in fear, doubt, despair, deceit, anger, envy – a whole host of unwelcome intruders that come to rob me of the life Christ died to give me. Instead of the enemy of my soul, I will intentionally invite the Provider of my feast to preside over the meal and partake of it with me. In Psalms it says this of the Lord who is my shepherd –

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23-5-6)

When my Heavenly Father prepares the meal, presides over it and has a seat at my table, all the other seats are filled with the good guests He brings with Him. His everpresent Presence brings His peace, (not as the world gives) His protection, His abundant provision, His promises to me, His plans to give me “hope and a future”, His healing, His mercy, His joy and His comfort (isn’t that what the angel said to the shepherds, tidings of “comfort and joy”?) When I invite my Heavenly Father in and give Him a seat at my Thanksgiving table, my cup really does overflow as I give Him alone all my thanksgiving and all my praise. I simply –

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:4-5)

I most gladly and joyfully –

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced” (Psalm 105:1-5)

I’m so grateful to God that He is indeed the Provider and Preparer of my table and because my Heavenly Father has a seat at the table He has prepared for me in the presence of my enemies, it’s my table and I don’t have to give the enemy a seat at my table at Thanksgiving or at any other time. Good to know. The choice is mine who I allow at my God given table. Thank You, Lord. Your Presence fills my table with every good thing.

“You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your Presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)

sincerely, Grace Day

a walk on the wild side

Posted on by Grace Day

I take them often – wild side walks that is. These walks that I’ve been taking give new meaning to the term “concrete jungle.” because these walks aren’t exactly nature walks. Instead of being surrounded by scenic views and bird calls as I walk, I am surrounded by the sounds of traffic, cars backfiring, sirens wailing, horns honking, in addition to the sounds of heavy machinery on the ground and helicopters overhead. No, I am not walking through a war zone, well not technically or literally anyway. I am simply walking during my break around the inner-city high school where I work.

This high school is located on a very busy main street close to the interstate, which explains the constant high volume of traffic surrounding the school. It is close to downtown and a few blocks from the medical center, which accounts for the helicopters landing at the heliport on one of the hospitals there. (or maybe they are traffic helicopters? I can’t tell the difference) The old football stadium has been torn down and a brand new one is being constructed in its place, which is why all the bulldozers and other such big machinery have been operating during my daily walks. Only a chain link fence separates me and the other pedestrians from the noise and activity of all the large earth moving trucks and other heavy machinery operating there every day.

So it is a different kind of a jungle that I walk in every day. I don’t have to watch out for dangerous wild animals, just dangerous traffic. I don’t hear bird calls, I hear sirens growing louder, closer, then fading into the distance. I don’t walk on a dirt path, but on a concrete sidewalk. After all, I am in a concrete jungle. Maybe this concrete jungle is actually more dangerous than any African jungle or Amazon jungle? Actually, both jungles are full of pitfalls and perils. These may be different, but they are equally real and equally challenging.

Ironic isn’t it? I choose to walk on my break in order to focus and find a few moments of peaceful tranquility before I return to the noise and chaos of the classroom, and instead I find myself walking through the noise and chaos of the concrete jungle I have just described to you. Gives new meaning to the expression – “it’s a jungle out there” for sure. It would appear that no matter where I walk, I will face challenges. Whether the possibility of poisonous snakes and prowling lions in the real jungle, or the dangers of fast moving traffic and heavy machinery in the concrete jungle – life is certainly no walk in the park.

The apostle Peter apparently figured this out centuries ago, because he wrote to believers saying, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

It seems to me that no matter where I walk, I will encounter some degree of difficulty and danger. Some environments are more dangerous than others. Some roads are just harder to walk than others. For me what matters most is not where I am walking, whether that be a peaceful path or an impossibly steep and slippery slope, but who is walking with me. This makes all the difference in my journey and in its outcome.

Case in point – Daniel’s three friends. Talk about your walk on the wild side. I don’t think “furnace walking” is a thing (unlike glacier walking or creek walking) but Daniel’s three friends were forced to do this by an angry king wanting to prove a point. Now a furnace is not an ideal environment for a walk (so much for the where) BUT the who joining them on this walk made all the difference in the outcome of their walk on the wild side. We join the story in progress –

“So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’ ” (Daniel 3:21-25)

These three men weren’t alone in the furnace. God was right there with them, which accounted for the fact that they were no longer bound up but now walking around freely, unharmed. Our story continues –

“So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, . . . the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.” (Daniel 3:26-27)

For these three, their walk on the wild side did not end in disaster because of Who walked with them, which mattered much more than where they found themselves walking. I’m sure those three friends of Daniel never planned on having to walk through a furnace. Not a lot you can do to prepare for something like that. Even as I write these words I know too many dear people, friends and family, who are walking through something right now that none of us would choose because the path is painful and scary and hard.

These wheres none of us would choose. BUT – we can choose the who – who walks with us. And that makes all the difference. King David made a choice. He boldly declared –

“The Lord is my shepherd,” (Psalm 23:1)

The result of his choice of shepherd? “I shall not be in want.”

King David had to walk in some hard places. He said this –

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:4-5)

The valley of the shadow of death has to be one of the most dangerous, difficult places to walk if not the most treacherous of all. But David said he wasn’t afraid because of God’s presence walking with him, bringing him comfort. And not only that, David said God’s provision for him was abundant and overflowing while he was still walking in the valley. My Heavenly Father does the same for me every day no matter where I find myself walking. His presence goes with me, giving me comfort, protection and provision – even when, like King David, I am walking through “the valley of the shadow of death.”

I pray this knowledge for all my friends, family and for you dear readers – the knowledge of God’s everpresent presence abiding with you and with me, with each one of us, supplying all our needs even when we find ourselves walking in dark valleys. God is there. We have His promise on that. King David knew this. Must be why he wrote these words about God-

“You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:5-10)

How wonderful, how reassuring – to know that God is always present with me no matter where I go, no matter where I am walking, be it a concrete jungle or a dry desert. God is there. I will not be afraid. I will walk with confidence and purpose because Jesus promised –

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

sincerely, Grace Day

slow down – turn around

Posted on by Grace Day

Have I mentioned I’m currently doing a Bible study on “hurry” with some other women? Well, I am. Not that I’ve put into practice what we’re learning or slowed down any yet – but there’s always tomorrow, right? However, a song has been running through my head lately, a really random, really old song – don’t know how I even know it, but the words keep coming to my mind.

The song? – “Turn Around Look at Me” by the Vogues. Although when I looked it up, the Letterman and some other groups sang this song also. It’s a love song, words sung from a man to a woman I’m guessing, even though it could just as easily be from a woman to a man. The message of the song is clear. The one who loves wants the person whom they love to notice them, to see them, to hear them and to realize that they are loved by this “someone” and they don’t even know it!

It seems to me this song could very well be one of the songs my Creator is singing to me. After all, God is singing to me continuously. Just because I’m not listening, doesn’t mean my Creator isn’t singing as He watches over me. His word tells me that He is indeed singing.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

The message of the song is simple – “There is someone walking behind you – Turn around, look at me.” I can believe this is what God is saying to me as I hurry through my days. He just wants me to stop, turn and see that He is right there, so close to me. King David was aware of God’s presence with him when he wrote these words about God –

“You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” (Psalm 139:5-6)

The song continues “There is someone watching your footsteps – turn around, look at me.” These words remind me that my Heavenly Father is watching over me even when I am not paying any attention to Him. The psalmist expressed it this way –

“The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

Watching my coming and my going, my footsteps – my Heavenly Father is not a creepy stalker but a benevolent protector who loves me and watches over me. Who wouldn’t want someone who always has their back? who always has their best interests at heart? The song continues with the only line that would not ring true if my Creator were singing it – “There is someone who really needs you – here is my heart in my hand.”

That’s not true BUT – the reverse is. God doesn’t need me, but I desperately need Him. God cares for me, “He loves me with an everlasting love”, “He has compassion on all He has made”, He gave His one and only Son for me – but He doesn’t need me. I need Him. However, the rest is true – my Heavenly Father has given me His heart and His hand –

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)

The song continues – “Turn around, look at me. Understand, understand that there’s someone who’ll stand beside you, turn around, look at me”

Are you sensing a theme here? If only I would slow down, cease my endless running from who knows what to who knows what – if only I would pause long enough to turn around and see the One who is pursuing me, the One who loves me, the One who is watching over me, singing over me – my Heavenly Father – the One who is my Creator, my Redeemer, my Savior, my provider and my protector. If only I would stop running from God and instead run to Him – He is waiting for me to do just that, like the song says – “turn around, look at me.”

The song continues – “And there’s someone to love and guide you, turn around, look at me”. My Heavenly Father has promised in His word that He will do this for me, if I will allow Him to –

“Lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:4-5)

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:2-3)

This is definitely a song my Heavenly Father is singing consistently, patiently to my soul. As I hurry through my days, He is calling to me – “turn around, look at Me!” Will I stop and turn to see that He is with me and has been all along, or am I too busy, in too big a hurry to acknowledge His presence? Even if I keep running rather than turn around, God doesn’t give up on me or on you either, dear readers. King David knew this to be true. Must be why he wrote these words –

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make My bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

It is so comforting to know that there is indeed “Someone” walking behind me, beside me, holding my hand, guiding me. That “Someone” is none other than my Creator, my Heavenly Father, God. Which brings us to the last line of the lyrics to this song – words God is definitely singing to me and to you, even as I write them.

“O I’ve waited, but I’ll wait forever – For you to come to me – Look at someone Who really loves you – Turn around, look at me – Turn around, look at me.”

Someone who really loves you and me – that’s God!

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

Someone who will never give up on me or on you, Someone who will wait forever –

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ ” (Hebrews 13:5)

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“Turn around, look at me” – a song about human love, but nevertheless, a song that reflects the divine love our Creator has for each one of us as those He created in His image. As the song continues to play in my head, I will pause from my “hurry”, turn around and look at my Heavenly Father – truly look at Him, truly know Him, truly spend time in His presence.

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)

sincerely, Grace Day

pondering the pithy

Posted on by Grace Day

My neighbors are traveling – again. They have recently returned from one adventure only to embark on yet another travel adventure. I must admit – I am positively green with envy. This brings to mind the rolling stone – you know the one – the one that gathers no moss, right? Well, in this scenario, my neighbors are the rolling stones and I am the opposite of a rolling stone. I am the stationary stone. This would explain my envious green hue. Unlike my friends, the rolling stones, I have gathered plenty of moss. I am, in fact, covered in thick, green moss.

Although, if truth be told, there are plenty of times and seasons in my life, where I too, am a rolling stone. It is during these times of “rolling” that I lose my accumulated moss in the process of being no longer still, but in perpetual motion.

Still, I have to ponder the deeper question here. Is the implication of this often quoted, pithy saying that moss is a good thing or a bad thing? If the implication is that moss is a good thing, a desirable thing, then a rolling stone by virtue of its constant movement, is missing out on acquiring this valuable asset of moss. Moss does provide a warm and comforting layer of protection and adornment for the stone. So moss can be considered something good. This is one interpretation.

Or – is moss considered a burden – extra, unnecessary weight that slows the stone’s roll? Is the moss making the stone more beautiful or hiding the stone’s bare beauty? All these queries are a part of my pithy ponder.

It appears to me that to this point in my life, I have more often played the part of the stationary stone rather than the rolling stone. (must be why I have acquired so much moss) Neighbors have come and gone, friends have moved here and there, while I have been at the same address for many years. And I have the “moss” to verify my lack of “rolling” – a basement and a garage and closets full of the “moss” that accumulates with the passage of time. Are these “mossy” things that fill my home treasure or trash? That is open to interpretation.

But, fun fact. Time does have a way of turning trash into treasure. Ordinary objects become valuable antiques, sought after by collectors, when enough time has passed to turn them into rare and historical treasures. Ironically, moss is a sign that the “stone” has put down roots (so to speak) by virtue of staying in one place, even though moss itself has no roots. (moss has something called rhizoids which enable it to attach to a variety of surfaces)

Moss is a beautiful, velvety soft covering – a vibrantly colored plant that lives on every continent. That’s right. Moss grows in Antarctica and in the desert. Very versatile. So why would a stone want to cease its rolling and gather some moss? Maybe for the comfort a covering of moss provides? Perhaps for the protection or for the adornment of mosses’ emerald hues? Or could it be that the stone desires the moss that grows and flourishes with the connections that are formed, the community that arises, only when the stone stops its rolling?

But it’s hard to stop “rolling” in today’s culture. We are busy and we value busyness. So I too often keep on rolling and then wonder why I have no moss – no protective, comforting, decorative cloak and cover to keep me company. (who knew moss is a good companion?) This must be why God’s word says –

“Be still; and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

I don’t need to keep running – whether from something or in search of something. My Heavenly Father says I need only to be still. (and maybe gather some moss) He will meet me where I am. In fact, He says this –

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14)

And He says –

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (Isaiah 30:15)

I guess that’s right. I too often resist being still in favor of that fever pitch at which we all seem to be living life. I’m afraid to slow down and cease my incessant rolling. Why? I blame FOMO. (fear of missing out) It’s a malady of our current day culture. BUT – my Heavenly Father has something else in mind for me (and for you) –

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” (Psalm 37:7)

“Do not fret”? Why? Because God’s got a better plan for me and for you too, dear readers. God gives us a wonderful invitation, if we dare to accept it and follow where He leads –

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:2)

Doesn’t that sound inviting? A chance to stop rolling long enough to lie down and rest. I’m pretty sure there’s moss in those green pastures and moss on the stones beside those quiet waters. It is in this place of stillness that my Heavenly Father restores my soul, I receive much needed rest, and moss has a chance to grow a comforting, protective, decorative covering over my once rolling stony self.

This is an open invitation from my Heavenly Father, an invitation that I want to accept often. I never regret the time I spend in His green pastures, beside quiet waters, being still, being restored by the life-giving Presence of my Creator. I will “be still and know that He is God.” I will gladly cease my rolling and gather some moss until my Heavenly Father calls me to “roll” again, to follow Him to some new adventure.

sincerely, Grace Day

the gum giver

Posted on by Grace Day

No, that is not a job description, but it does describe a work colleague of mine. He is a substitute teacher at the large, inner city public high school where I also work as a sub. This can be a tough job, a thankless job, a position the students don’t take seriously but they do take advantage of those in this role. My colleague, however, has found a solution or at least a gimmick to enhance his standing with the students even though he’s only a substitute teacher like me. His idea? He is the giver of gum goodness.

That’s right. My colleague has discovered that giving out free chewing gum to the students is indeed a very good gimmick – a gimmick full of goodwill fueled by the goodness of gum! Who knew? It’s a simple gesture but it works wonders. I’ve seen it work. He stands in the halls during passing periods and hands out gum to anyone who asks. Even the most rude and rebellious of students will approach him politely, hand outstretched, and usually remember to say thank you at the conclusion of the gum transaction.

The teenage years are turbulent times by definition. Many students walk around angry, anxious, or on edge, just waiting for their next explosive encounter. Enter the gum giver. Instead of telling students they are in violation of dress code, to take off their hat or to get to class (that’s someone else’s job anyway, someone way above our pay grade) he offers them a choice of gum flavors – a small gift, an act of kindness and goodwill inserted into an often contentious environment.

This giving of gum changes things for the better – one stick of gum at a time – one positive interaction at a time – his gimmick of giving gum goodness reaps a harvest of goodwill. And goodwill is a scarce and valuable commodity among the teenage population, let me tell you. (maybe among the population in general now that I think about it) The gum giver is building bridges between himself and the students, slowly, steadily – each gesture of kindness, each stick of gum, another piece of the bridge he is building every day. (although I’m sure some days the chasm seems too wide to be bridged by mere sticks of gum, no matter how many he gives away)

This is not something new for him. The gum giver has been doing this for years. Students seek him out during the school day – they go out of their way to find him. Of course, they are getting free gum, but they are also getting something more – a smile, a kind word – it’s possibly the most positive interaction of their day. I think my colleague is onto something wise and profound. Although, it’s also a good survival tactic. Teenagers can be formidable adversaries. I think the gum giver is smart to put into practice this strategy –

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Romans 12:20)

He is making a big difference with a seemingly small gesture – the giving of a single stick of gum. Living in a culture that is producing anxious, agitated, often angry individuals, what he does may seem insignificant and insufficient against such odds. BUT – we are told in Romans –

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

In this case, the goodness of gum is the method and I think it is working. As I said previously, he has been doing this gum giveaway thing for some years, which brings to mind these words in Galatians –

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9-10)

I wonder if the gum giver ever grows weary? Perhaps, BUT – I have never seen the gum giver give up. And he never runs out of gum either! That’s a minor miracle considering every school day he hands out hundreds of sticks of gum, one at a time, all day long. (many students are repeat receivers of his gift of gum goodness in the same day) I hope his consistent kindness and generosity are contagious. We could each take a page from the gum giver’s play book and practice some small form of “gum giving” every day.

Whether it’s the giving of a smile (there are those who find that too costly or too much trouble) or the giving of a kind word or a listening ear – I am inspired by the gum giver to try and make a difference for good in the lives of those I come in contact with every day. (maybe candy bars?) Whatever it is, dear readers, we each have our own unique contribution for good that only we can make to the world. So let’s do whatever it is, one step at a time, one day at a time, one stick of gum at a time.

And the world will be the better for it – “overcome evil with good.”

sincerely, Grace Day

fun fact – the gum giver is also the person in the post – “moment of glory”