SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Author: J Brad Mitchell

  • Who’s the best?

    Who’s the best?  That’s a thought that often runs through the minds of so many in our competitive society.  Our culture seems to be one of comparison – who has the best, who does this the best, that person did that better than you.  In some situations, competition is great and necessary.  You want the best players on a basketball team.  You want the best athletes in the Olympics.  You want the best taking care of you medically.  But, sometimes this gets out of control.

    If our world is about competition, then we are constantly in a comparison game.  Why don’t I run better than he does?  Why doesn’t my hair look like hers?  Why is their house bigger than mine?  Why does he play the piano so much better than I do?  This is a no win game.  We will always have someone to compare ourselves to.  Even if we are the best at one thing, there are a ton of other things in our lives that someone else is better at.

    This even spills over into our lives as Christians.  She reads the Bible better than I do.  He sings better than I do.  That church has a better youth program.  There are more people attending that church than mine.  There are more younger people there.  There are less activities here.  And we find ourselves in another no win game of who is best.

    Comparing ourselves to others can lead to envy, to a financial disaster, to anxiety and stress, to difficulties in relationships, and even to a church trying to be something other than what God intended.

    How do we avoid this when it is so engrained in our culture?  I think that we by taking a long difficult look at why we do what we do.  What really is your motives?  What really is driving you?  What or who are you comparing yourself to?  Who are you trying to emulate?

    As a Christian, my focus has to be on following Christ.  If I do that, then my comparison is…am I doing what I have been called to do.  That doesn’t mean that I do it better than someone else.  That means that I look at what God’s calling on my life is, and do that to the best of my ability.  The same goes for the church.  As the church, are we doing what God has called us…our fellowship…to do?  While all churches are called to follow Christ as a community of believers, that looks different in every church.  Worship and activities that are done may be different.  One church may be called particularly to reach out in prison ministry while another may be called to carry out a feeding program.  The point is that if every Christian is doing what he or she is called to do and every church is living out the calling God has for it – then working together – what a beautiful picture of Christ that becomes.

    That leaves out the idea that I am doing something better than you.  I am just doing what God has called me to do to the best of my abilities.  That leaves out the idea that my church is better than yours.  My church and your church are doing what God calls and we are working together towards a common goal.  We serve and follow the same Lord.  We should be working together.  That means we can celebrate the successes of others.  We can truly be excited for a church that is doing what God has called.  We can celebrate with the pianist that has faithful given her life to that calling.  It’s not a competition, it is an opportunity to work together to show the love of Christ to a world starving for it.  That’s when the Body of Christ really makes a difference.

    To conclude, I have one last thought:

    we are all crazy cartoon

    Blessings as you seek to follow Christ in what he has called YOU to do.

  • Be careful what you post

    I often get surprised when I read Facebook.  It is an open forum where people can post anything – regardless of whether they should have said it or not.  I often wonder if people actually read their words before they post them.  What bothers me is that I think people really do read what they post and still do it.  There seems to be so much hate expressed lately.  One post in particular really got to me recently.  It was from a person that I know seeks to follow Christ.  The post, though, was filled with hate for something that they didn’t agree with.  The image was disturbing.  I am not saying that as Christians, we should not post how we feel.  I am not saying we are not entitled to our opinions.  I am saying that we should filter what we post through the lens of Christ.  I try to follow the same advice when I speak.  I struggle keeping my mouth closed quite a bit.  But, I really find no excuse not to filter what I post since I can read and consider it before I actually press the post button.

    To be honest, that isn’t even what disturbs me the most.  What really gets to me is that Christians actually feel and believe the things that we post.  The whole idea of loving God and loving neighbor seems to really be an issue.  It is so easy to say but when there is hate in our heart, it doesn’t leave room for love.  Jesus tells us to love our neighbor – and doesn’t say that we get to pick the neighbor we love.  He doesn’t say we have to agree with our neighbor.  He doesn’t say that we have to be like our neighbor.  But, he does say that we are to love our neighbor.  And, putting things on Facebook that display hate is just not okay – EVER.  It isn’t loving our neighbor.  Even if it is a joke and it is “funny” it is NEVER okay.  Hate eats away at us.  Hate fills the places that are reserved for God.  Hate leads us to take actions that are not at all where Christ would lead.

    Maybe we should spend a few extra moments – pray before we post – and let God lead.  I don’t know…seems to be what we should do with our whole lives.  I don’t think our Facebook account is exempt.  And, may it begin with me.

  • An invitation to the party

    Who knew it?  Jesus threw parties.  There were big parties.  And, the parties haven’t stopped.  They continue but too many of us Christians have stopped going.  There may be a variety of reasons why.  It could be that its been so long since the party was for us that we lost the passion.  It could be that we have lost our joy.  It could be that we don’t think that Jesus should throw a party for some of the people.  It might just be that we don’t even like some of the people who are invited to the party…and we might not even like who Jesus threw the party for!  So, we will stay home.  Yet, we receive an invitation.  We are invited and given a place of honor.  The party may not be for us this time, but we are privileged to come and fellowship and have cake…with Jesus.  It seems to me that Jesus told this parable for people who had lost the passion to party.

    Luke 15:1-3; 11-32

    It’s the parable of the prodigal son.  It is a beautiful story of grace and redemption, joy and celebration.  But, that isn’t all the story is about.  Notice that this is a story…it is a parable.  That means that it is a lesson.  Jesus is teaching a lesson to those who are listening.  Are you listening to the lesson?

    This is the 3rd parable in the series.  It is in answer to the Pharisees and the scribes (and probably others that felt religiously privileged).  They are wondering what in the world this man who is suppose to be a religious leader is doing talking to sinners and tax collectors…and even further, eating with them.  They are unclean, unworthy, unkept, and unwelcome as far as they are concerned.  And, yet, Jesus is welcoming them, eating with them, loving them.  So these parables answer that.

    The story is about a father and his two sons.  One son goes off on his own, disowns his family by taking his inheritance and leaving.  The other son stays by his father’s side and works with him, always faithful.  Through a series of events, he has found himself feeding pigs and starving.  Pigs were unclean animals and he is working for Gentiles (non-Jews).  He realizes he has messed up and decides to return to his home as a servant…not as a son.  He knows he doesn’t deserve the position of son any longer.  He just wants to be a servant for his father.  And he plans what he will say to beg his way into just being a servant.  His father, though, sees him and is overjoyed.  He barely gives him time to begin the spill he had planned the whole walk home – dad has given him the place of son and thrown a big party – invited the neighbors and anyone who will come.  It is a time of celebration.

    The older brother is less than impressed.  He has been there…faithful…not insulting the family name…not doing any of the things that his younger brother has done.  He sees the big feast and is mad about it…he is not going to the party and wonders what in the world is going on – he hasn’t ever gotten a party like this.  Notice the father…again in the unexpected.  He comes out to where the older son is…and he pleads with him to join the party.  He allows his son to vent and then explains why he has thrown the celebration.  Very uncharacteristic of the patriarchal system during this time.

    Notice just a few things about this parable.  First, the focus of the story is not on the sons – either of them.  The focus of the story is on the father.  He is loving and welcoming and forgiving beyond measure.  What does the father do?  He welcomes the son home with open arms and throws him a party.  It isn’t about what the children have done – they don’t deserve anything – either of them.  They are both sinners.  One has made a blatant mistake against his father – but that doesn’t mean the other is perfect.  The father has grace for them both.  The father and his love and grace are the focus of the story.

    Second, neither of the sons deserved the party.  They were privileged to even be able to sit at the table.  Through the younger son’s adventures, he learns what a privilege it is to be in the father’s house and just wants to be a servant, not even sit at the table.  Yet, the father doesn’t just invite him to the table, but gives him a place of his son.  Does that mean the older son loses his place?  It doesn’t.  The older son still has a place with the father at the table…a place of position.  A child of the father still sits there.

    Third, the older son – he wants to decide why a party should be thrown and for whom…and some sinner such as his brother is no good reason to throw a party.  He didn’t want to sit at the table with him or celebrate his return.  He had forgotten that he didn’t deserve to be there either.  He had sat at that table so long that he forgot that he was privileged to be called son.

    What about you and me?  Have we sat at the table so long that we have forgotten what a privilege it is?  Are we new to the table, new on the invitation list for the party?  Are we excited when there is a party for someone new and that person comes to sit at the table or have we decided who is worthy?  If God throws a party for someone who we don’t think is worth it…do we pout and not participate?

    May we never forget the grace that has been given to us and how much we don’t deserve to be in the house at all.  And, may we find the joy in the invitation and come to the party.  There is too much to celebrate to sit and home and sulk.

  • The hidden message that was in front of me

    In a recent devotion, the scripture reference was in Genesis 32-33.  This was a familiar story to me, so I read over it fairly quickly.  This time was different, though.  This reading caused me to stop and reflect on what was happening.  The words were the same.  The story was the same.  Somehow, the meaning had changed.  The meaning had not changed for the author but for me, as the reader/hearer.  That’s the joy of reading the scripture.  My life has changed since the last time that I read this whole story.  I have gotten older and see the world a little differently.  My circumstances have changed.  Things that once meant so much now seem petty.  This reminded me of one of the many lessons I learned in Seminary.  I studied World Religions and one of the religions that I really wanted to know more about was Judaism.  I spent some time with a wonderful person that offered so much insight and passion into the faith.  Rabbi Solomon and I were talking about how the Jews read the Torah through every year.  He taught that it was important to read the Torah again and again because we change.  Our life situation is different and what the Torah means to us is often shaped by those situations.  I found that true in this text of Genesis 32-33.

    What I discovered: 

    Jacob has been a liar and deceiver.  God has instructed him to return to his father’s home.  The only problem with that is Esau is there.  Esau, his older brother, was extremely angry the last time he saw him.  Esau even had plans to kill Jacob.  It had been several years since then, but the facts had not changed.  Jacob had taken Esau’s birthright and his blessing.  The other fact is that Esau was a skilled hunter/gatherer.  Jacob was not.  Jacob’s chances of winning any dispute, other than through deceit, are slim to none.  Jacob was terrified to return – even though God had told him to.  He had an elaborate plan – filled with droves of gifts and a whole lot of begging/groveling.  What Jacob didn’t know is that Esau was changed.  When Esau finally got to Jacob…the scene really blew me away.  Here is the reunion…

    4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maids drew near, they and their children, and bowed down; 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down; and finally Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor with my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”

    Esau wasn’t just glad to see him…he ran to meet him and embrace him.  It was completely NOT what Jacob was expecting or deserved.  Esau didn’t even want the gifts.  He told Jacob he had enough.  I LOVE that.  Esau knew he had what he needed…it wasn’t gifts that had changed him.  He didn’t need what Jacob HAD.  And Jacob says this…

    Jacob said, “No, please; if I find favor with you, then accept my present from my hand; for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God—since you have received me with such favor.

    He told him that to see his face was to see the face of God.  That was IT!  Jacob received from Esau what he didn’t deserve – forgiveness, reconciliation, love and GRACE.  Wow!  That’s what God does for us.  I am blown away by God’s love, forgiveness, and grace – none of which do I deserve.  I am thankful that I was able to see read this.  I am hopeful it blesses someone else as well.

    What have you been skipping over in the scripture because you have “read it before?”  I encourage you to slow down and listen.  God has a powerful message to share if we will only pay attention.

  • The Night the Clock Stopped

    I was at a basketball game recently when something happened.  A stunt the cheerleaders were performing went wrong…a girl fell and got hurt.  I think my heart stopped and my daughter wasn’t even the cheerleader that was hurt.  It was during half time.  They always have the clock running during half time so the teams can know when to begin warming up again before they start the second half.  But not today…as all of this was going on, I look up at the clock and…it was stopped.  There was no countdown…for that moment, time seemed to stand still.  Those are the moments that become forever embedded in your mind.

    Time seems to stand still on a few occasions…like watching a car accident…or seeing something tragic happen right before your eyes.

    Or, like sitting at the bedside of someone as they take their last breath…People say that life flashes before their eyes when they experience something tragic or life-altering.  There may not be another time to say what needs to be said to people.  We may not get another moment to love on those that mean something to us.  I understand that may sound cliche.

    For me, though, I don’t always stop to really see people until the clock stops.  I don’t consider what I should or should not be saying until there is no opportunity left to speak.  I don’t often reflect on what I should or shouldn’t be doing until it is all said and done.

    What might our lives look like if we started seeing what really is around us…without the clock stopping?  What should we say or do or not say if the clock was to stop right now?  What do you need to change, even if the clock keeps on counting?

  • A Time For…

    What a day!  I’m sure we have all had one of those days that we could not wait for it to end…where nothing seems to go right and we feel like if the day doesn’t end quickly, it may actually all fall apart.  Today was one of those days for me.  But, after lunch, things began to take a turn…for the better.  My afternoon appointments didn’t work out.  I still had a whole list of other things to do…but it was 65 degrees on a winter day.  I had been inside too long and was anxious to get some fresh air.  Emma and I decided it was time for a hike at the Cliffs of the Neuse…

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    The trail was calling
    The trail was calling

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    As I walked through the trail, I began to feel better.  I enjoyed hearing the songs of the birds.  It began to notice the beauty of the trees.  My eyes were opening to the creation that was all around me.  I began to breathe…

    I noticed how different all of the trees were.  There were some tall and majestic…

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    Others were small but alive with potential…

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    Still others appeared to have been at the end of their usefulness…yet contained a beauty that was indescribable…

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    They were everywhere…as I walked to the lake, they surrounded the water in beauty…protecting, shielding, and accepting nourishment from the water…

    IMG_1216 IMG_1223 IMG_1220

     

    All of these trees…in all their specialness and uniqueness…in all their splendor…are beautiful.  Whether they were just beginning or their time was completed, they are a part of God’s creation.  Not many people know much about the book of Ecclesiastes, but if people know anything, they know this found in chapter 3:

    For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

    2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
    a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
    3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
    a time to break down, and a time to build up;
    4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
    a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
    5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
    a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
    6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
    a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
    7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
    a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
    8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
    a time for war, and a time for peace.

     Today, this writing began to speak to me as it never has before.  I began to see this come to life.  As I looked around at the planted…and the stones…in silence, I also considered that which had died…which had been plucked up…which had been gathered. In all of God’s wisdom, he has blessed us with signs and wonders all around us…if only we will pay attention.

    I will leave you with one of my favorite poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

    Earth is crammed with heaven

    And every common bush aflame with God

    But only those who see will take off their shoes

    The rest sit around and pluck blackberries

    Maybe, just maybe today was one of those holy moments..

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  • Sabbath? Who me?

    What I am still learning about 1 of the BIG 10…

    I really enjoy reading, I find it peaceful and it seems to take some of the stress out of an ordinary day.  The list of books I want to read is long…I have been accumulating the list while in Divinity School.  So far, the books I have chosen are books that I heard about in seminary but didn’t get a chance to read or are by authors I read excerpts from.  I began with NT Wright’s Surprised by Hope.  This is a book that I used in research so I knew just enough about it to know I wanted to read the whole thing.  Wright speaks about a topic that has become very important in my own spiritual walk…creation care and Romans 8.  The book did not disappoint and creation care continues to be an essential part of my walk.  I decided to continue on this same path, but from the perspective of seeing God through what he has made.  I came upon An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor.

    There are so many lessons that I have learned from reading this book.  One of the greatest takeaways, though, is the idea of Sabbath.  I know what the Sabbath is.  I have studied the Sabbath.  I even know its importance.  I have studied the Sabbath as a part of creation and as a command from God.  And, there is this:

    “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.” Exodus 20: 9-11

    Yep, that’s from the “Big 10″…you know, the Ten Commandments.  We know it.  Many of us memorized it.  We learned it in Sunday School right along with the Beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer.  There it is…the Sabbath.  In the book, Taylor points out that the Lord blessed and consecrated the day.  It was more than “good” as the other parts of creation were.  This was something extra special.  Now…I knew this.  This is not something new.  What was different is that someone who has served in parish ministry is writing about it.  She wrote about how she never really got it while she served…it wasn’t until she was no longer in parish ministry that she discovered the Sabbath.

    I have used every excuse I can come up with to show why I do not honor this commandment…and feel good about my excuses.  I am a minister and I am called to work on Sunday.  I am bi-vocational which means I also work another job that I can’t just take a day off.  There are things to be done around the house.  I have a family.  I…blah, blah blah – you get it.  I have as many excuses for not celebrating the Sabbath as Moses had for not doing what God called him to do.  Several years ago, Dad and I had an ongoing “conversation” about the Sabbath.  He would always tell me that I had to take a Sabbath…so I would ask him how his was going.  Neither of us did really well at it.  I’m still not doing really well at it.

    This week, I found myself craving a Sabbath.  I told Wendy I was going to have to take a day and rest.  Not only did God command it, but my body needed it…bad.  I felt myself being snappy with my girls, frustrated at work, and generally angry.  That’s not me.  So – today is my first attempt at taking a Sabbath.  It is Saturday…the day of rest for me.  It has not been easy because there are a million things that need to be done.  I did attend a prayer breakfast at church, which presented an opportunity for worship.  I spent time with a friend on the trails outside…an opportunity to walk in creation and just talk.  I finished the book I was reading…so I could start another.  I even planned out my garden and spent time outside with the dogs in my yard.  I have prayed and I have enjoyed some great coffee.  I must say that although my house needs attention and there are so many things to be done…I am THANKFUL for this Sabbath.  I already know that God is right…but this just confirms it.  That commandment is not to punish me or make me feel guilty…that commandment is for my good – just like all of them are.  

    I’m looking forward to the next Sabbath…and hearing God speak…and just resting.  How are you doing on your Sabbath?

  • Making Time to Breathe

    As this new year begins, there are quite a few changes.  I do not have to return to school this semester, which is probably the biggest change.  Because I spent so much time studying and reading and going to class, you would think I would have so much extra time.  You might even think I would have so much free time I wouldn’t know what to do.  I have already had many people ask what I was going to do with all my extra time.  The interesting thing is that there isn’t much free time…and I’m not sure how I survived with all I had going on.

    Last semester, I often thought of what I would do when I didn’t have to go to school.  The only answer in my mind was…breathe.  I can’t remember taking too many deep breaths in the last five years.  My schedule was so overloaded that I really don’t even remember relaxing at all.  Don’t get me wrong…it is not in my nature to relax too long.  I have to be on the move, doing something.  I loved what I did and wouldn’t change anything.  My experience in Seminary has been priceless.  But I had the desire to…just breathe.

    I looked at my schedule yesterday and it is packed.  I am doing things I wasn’t able to do when I was in school, but the calendar is still full.  I thought to myself…how did this happen so soon?  If I just had more time…or if I could just make the time to do what needs to be done…and…

    And then I heard Jonny Diaz’s new song, “Breathe.”  God has an interesting way of reaching us, doesn’t he?   I have to learn to slow down and just breathe…rest at the feet of Jesus.  His presence is in me…around me…if I will just take the time to…breathe.  He can bring rest to my overstressed life if I will just let him.  I don’t need more time.  I don’t need to “make time” even if I could.  Sometimes, I just need to stop, breathe, and listen to God speak…feel his presence…see his creation.  May I learn to…breathe.

  • Fear in the New Year

    Fear…it is one of those interesting emotions.  Fear can be good.  It can keep us from danger.  It can also be debilitating.  Fear can stop us from doing anything and keep us trapped.  All too often, our fears simply keep us frozen…unable to move forward into the future.

    Tomorrow is New Year’s Day.  That is a day known for new and fresh starts.  It is a day known for resolutions, and getting started with a “clean slate” and on the “right foot.”  Often, the start is great.  We might actually begin doing something that we have wanted to do for a long time.  Or, we may find that we stop doing something that is causing us harm.  Somehow in all of that, fear creeps in.  Actually, fear was always there, but we find ourselves ‘brave’ for a moment and start heading in the right direction.  That direction, though, is not our norm.  It is not what we are use to…not what we have grown accustomed.  So, eventually, we find ourselves back into the old habits and routines – where it is comfortable…even if it is bad.  Fear wins again.

    This doesn’t just happen in our exercise, dieting, or healthy new starts.  It doesn’t just happen with our jobs or our relationships with others.  This happens even in our relationship with God.  We have this desire to follow.  We really want to do what we are called to do.  With all our heart, we want to be more like Christ.  And…then…it happens.  We start following and the path is unknown…unfamiliar…untraveled.  We are scared.  We begin letting our fears take over.  My fears begin something like this…”What if this happens…what if that doesn’t work…what if God hasn’t really called you…what if you heard it all wrong…what if you make a big mess of things…what if…what if…what”  And, I back down.  I want out.  I begin thinking that there has to be a better way…something else I could do for God…something that is…well…more comfortable.

    Then, I read the Bible, and the calling of the disciples.  Jesus says things like take up your cross, leave everything behind, sell all you have, forsake all others…come follow me.  Jesus didn’t say that following would be easy or comfortable.  He actually said the opposite.  BUT WHAT ABOUT MY FEARS?  What do I do about the fears that keep me up at night, that cause me to feel sick to my stomach, that cause me to be irritable and snappy, that cause me to…quit?  Jesus has something to say about that too…I am the way, the truth and the life…I leave you peace that goes beyond your understanding…Fear not, I have overcome the world…and most importantly, I LOVE YOU.  It quickly brings to mind what has become my slogan for life…”God’s Got This”

    If I am serving Christ, he will take care of me.  He will show me the way.  He will be my light.  He will guide my feet.  He will provide for my needs.  He will never leave me.

    That doesn’t mean I won’t fear.  It doesn’t mean all of that anxiety goes away.  It does mean, though, that as I walk with him, I learn to trust him.  As I learn to trust him, I learn that he really does have this taken care of.  As I learn that he has it taken care of, I learn that I have nothing to fear.  I can have peace…even when things are very scary.

    As I walk into this New Year, I pray that fear does not debilitate us…it does not stop us…it does not overtake us.  I pray that God shows us what it means to walk…one step at a time…with him.  I pray that God begins to show us that when we walk with him, those fears…subside.  I pray that as 2016 comes, God’s children will begin to follow like never before…into the unknown.  And, I pray that it begins with me.

  • Merry Christmas!

    Christmas is almost here!  It is rainy and stormy and predicted to be over 70 degrees for Christmas.  I can’t complain about the temp…that’s just right for me.  So many have said that it just doesn’t “feel” like Christmas.  I wonder what Christmas really does feel like.  I am not thinking that the manger had snow.  I am not thinking that Mary and Joseph went out and built a snowman while baby Jesus slept in the hay.  I know that because it is in December, we are expecting colder weather.  I guess what I am trying to get at is if we are looking for things to be a certain way for it to feel like Christmas, we might miss something important.  We might miss Christmas.

    As I was preparing for our Christmas Eve Service, I read the song “Little Town of Bethlehem.”  It was an ordinary time for Bethlehem.  They were participating in the census…things were going along as they normally would during this time.  I am guessing that things were fairly “predictable.”  Mary and Joseph have come for the census and they didn’t have a place to stay.  Based on their social status, I am thinking they were probably not surprised by that.  I am guessing they weren’t really expecting any place to stay.  It wasn’t like they could call ahead for reservations and even if they could, they couldn’t afford the increased rates during a “peak season.”  It was all so ordinary…and yet extraordinary at the same time.  Mary, a pregnant woman, had a baby.  That happens every day.  I’m thinking there were other babies born during this trip in Bethlehem.  Mary, though, wasn’t just having ANY baby…she was having THE baby.  It was an ordinary night, an ordinary birth, an ordinary situation…but something extraordinary was happening.  Jesus was born into the world.  What about the others who were around?  What about the people that actually got rooms where they were staying in the stable?  What about those who passed by and saw that this couple had a new baby?  Was he just a cute addition?  Did they even notice?  Was it so hectic that they just kept moving along?  Was he crying so much that they found him an annoyance?  Did all of those around MISS IT?  Did they miss the birth of a Savior?

    Too many times, I find that I am in the room next door.  I am close to Christ…but I find myself so busy that I haven’t even noticed.  Christmas is almost here…will I stop and look around long enough to notice that Christ has come…that he is at work…that he is among us?  May I not be annoyed by the baby crying…by the noises at the stable…or too busy to stop and gaze…  May I stop, kneel and worship… Christ has come.  Merry Christmas!