"Stealing at Christmas?"

It's not about how clean the house is..
It's not about a to-do list.

It's not about how much you spend-or even if you spend the same amount on each one.

It's not about the lights and the tree.

It's not about the food and fixins' and the sweets of all sorts.

It's not about the noise...

The rush or even the quiet.

It's not about the list, because the list is endless; 

It is about the things that steal us away....

The fear of being alone,

The memories of what once was..

The quiet wishes that can never be fulfilled this side of heaven.

The joyous rush and the desperate solitude

can either one...

become the enemy of the soul in a season

filled with hope for some
and dread in others.

So where do we turn?

In the midst of the joy-when life is clamoring for every piece of us.

When laughter abounds and gifts are given freely....

Where do we go when the memories of lost loved ones, 

old searing pain and family gatherings....

threaten to undo us?

Where do we find His voice, when we are trying to understand what it is...

and what it's all about?

"And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord and behold, the Lord passed by, 

and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 

and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice."
1 Kings 19:11-12

So often...so VERY OFTEN...

it is in the quiet, 

that we find our hope..our peace.

In the midst of the flurry of activity...

and in the memories of the earthquakes and winds that have rocked our worlds....

We await His arrival into barren hearts.

We wait for His voice...

We wait.....

Like Elijah..

He waited out the chaos..
He ran from the very terror that threatened him.

He stole away and hid himself within a cave...

And He waited...
And.....He waited...

The desperate rush...

now became joyous solitude 

as Father spoke with him in the quietness.

We too, will know...

We too will discover

for ourselves, 

that....though..

"HE is here, He is not silent"

(Schaefer)

He will always be found IN the silence....

It is the greatest miracle..

of our moments 

when we find...

HIM in our silence.

And in so doing, we find peace.

What's it all about?

It's about the very things that steal us away.
And the very moment we determine to steal.

If you are going to steal this Christmas---

and...
We all will!!

Steal away time with the One who quietly entered our world without the fanfare.

"Glory to God in the Highest and on earth PEACE and good will to all men.."

Luke 2:15

Application: Will you allow Him to bring you His finest gift? Will you determine now to steal away time with Him and listen all the while, for His loving voice..?