Excuse Me, Excuse Me!

By Jeannine Sawall

“All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.”

Psalm 86:9 (NIV)

A friend of mine sets up an elaborate Christmas village every year filled with varying landscapes, houses and scenes, all centered around a manager where the baby Jesus lays. The highlight of her village, though, is not the people or the landscapes, but the hundreds of miniature animals she places throughout each scene. 

Two years ago,  she came into her living room and found her granddaughter playing with the animals of the Christmas village; however, instead of pretending the animals were being kind to one another, she had the animals in lines in front of some of the stores and houses. She had them roaring at each other and fighting to get in because the sales were on and they wanted to find the best deals!

"No, sweetie, the animals wouldn’t be fighting to get into the stores. They would be quiet and gentle because Jesus is near," my friend told her granddaughter, hoping that a gentler story line would save some wear and tear on her animal collection. A while later, as she went to check on her granddaughter, she was surprised to see all the animals in a big pile; one on top of the other, right in front of the manger where baby Jesus lay. 

"What's going on with the animals now?" she asked, half-expecting her granddaughter to explain another animal brawl.  "Well Grandma," she replied, "the animals are all so excited about seeing the baby Jesus, they just can't wait! They are all saying 'Excuse me, excuse me, can I please get through...I want to see Jesus.’"

I love this story and the picture it paints of our Christmastime. How easy is it to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season? We find ourselves fighting our way through lines and to-do lists and, in the midst of this busyness, we lose sight of the baby lying in the manger. 

Instead of pushing our way through crowds and countless tasks that this season seems to bring, let’s remember the one thing that's worth getting excited about: Jesus!  While holiday traditions are fun and gifts are good, Jesus is the only One who deserves our worship. This Christmas, let our heart- cry be, "Excuse me, excuse me...I want to see Jesus."

GOING DEEPER:

1.  In the midst of the busyness, what can you do to stay focused on Jesus this Christmas season?

2.  Are you as excited about wanting to see Jesus as you are about finding the best gifts?

FURTHER READING:

Luke 1:14; 1 Corinthians 10:3; Psalm 66:4

Jeannine is married to Marty and is a busy mother of four boys. She works in property management, serves in Café and actively ministers to those walking through grief.

The Three “P’s” of Christmas

By Elin Henderson

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:11(NKJV)

We all know the twelve days of Christmas but perhaps you aren’t aware of the three “P’s” of Christmas! Praise, Ponder, and Proclaim. Three of the well-known characters in the Christmas story found in Luke 2 bring these points to life.

The first “P” makes its appearance through the angel of the Lord and the heavenly hosts who made the great announcement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men’” (Luke 2:13-14)!  They lit up the sky with praise and glory to the God on high!

The second “P” comes to life through our lowly shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Stunned by the overwhelming angelic announcement and awestruck by the small babe in the manger, who was God incarnate, they boldly set forth to proclaim what they had heard. “Now, when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child” (Luke 2:17).

Our final “P” is found hidden in the heart of a young woman, still reeling from the amazing circumstances that have taken place in her life. “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). She soaked it all up and began seriously contemplating what all of this meant for her and for the world.

Have we been practicing the three “P’s” of Christmas this year? Have we taken time to praise Him like the angels for His wonderful gift of a Savior? Have we been proclaiming this truth to the people who live around us? Have we been pondering what this amazing gift of life means to us? As we remember this incredible moment in history, may we not forget to practice these powerful “P’s”!

GOING DEEPER:                                               

1. All three “P’s” require time and reflection. Considering that today’s lifestyle is “go, go, go,” how can you carve out the time to really practice these?

                                                           

FURTHER READING:

Proverbs 4:26 (Ponder); Psalm 111:2 (Praise); I Peter 2:9 (Proclaim)

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to fourteen-year-old Callie and eleven-year-old Elias.

Grace

By Peggy Kleckner

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8 (NIV)

I know that we are in the season of Advent, the season of waiting for Christmas. Waiting can be hard work. 

When my children were younger that was especially true. They knew that presents were being purchased. They could feel the excitement building, the hum of secrets. Oh, they enjoyed Christmas concerts and cookie baking, but opening presents was what they had their hearts set on!

My mother lived in Florida and so she would send a package for us that arrived before the actual date of Christmas. I guess I could have made them wait until Christmas, but truly I didn’t see the point. Why wait and let everything be discovered in one frenzied, chaotic day?

Nope, we waited just long enough for all of us to be together after our work and school days…then we opened our presents! It relieved some of the waiting and I am sure my mother enjoyed the phone call that followed. Not only did we open the gifts early, but we didn’t wait until Christmas to call and thank her. We both - - the giver and the receivers - - enjoyed some of Christmas early.

As I pondered the waiting of this season, I thought to myself, “Christmas is every day!” Every morning, there is a package waiting for me to open. Each day is a gift of His grace.

There is no waiting until I am good enough, no waiting until I take care of that one blemish in my character. The verse in Romans 5 reads, “while we were still sinners.”

The price for my sins is paid. There is nothing that I need to add to it. I can’t deserve it or earn it. I do, however, need to receive it and enjoy it. 

Many of us have received the gift of salvation. We trusted in Christ as our Savior, but now we are trying to work to hold on to it.  The work has been done.  Open the gift of grace He has for you each day and share the joy of it!  Call out to Him and thank Him.

Christmas is every day for those who have put their trust in Jesus.  Forget the wait, keep opening the gifts!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Do you believe that the only joy He has for you is held on the other side of this life? If so, would you be willing to reconsider?

2.  How can you enjoy the gift of His presence with you today?

FURTHER READING:

Ephesians 4:7-8

Peggy is a wife and mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and is an active encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield. 

My Best for Him

By Lisa Boyer

“Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”

Matthew 2:11b (NIV)

I wasn’t expecting to see him, not here anyway; not in the United States. But there he stood on a small stage at a local church. A boy from Zambia, playing a drum and singing a song I’d never heard before:

“Come, they told me (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)”

Ok, I’d heard it before, but never in this way… never by someone who so closely resembled “The Little Drummer Boy” himself.

“A newborn king to see (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
Our finest gifts we bring (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
To lay before the king (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
So, to honor Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
When we come”

I could picture the manger scene and this humble Zambian boy standing off to the side, afraid to approach. But he wants to give something or do something - - anything. So he comes forward and softly speaks. 

“Little baby (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I am a poor boy too (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I have no gifts to bring (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
That's fit to give a king (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
Shall I play for you (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
On my drum?”

This boy presents himself before the Newborn King, honestly confesses who he is (“a poor boy” with “no gift”) and then he offers what he can, all he can: He offers to serve the King.

“I played my drum for Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I played my best for Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)”

I had tears in my eyes as I listened to him play his best for the King.

We all come to Jesus just as that poor Zambian drummer boy. We have no gift fit to give a king, not the King, not the Newborn King who came to earth to live and then die for us! But that’s okay, because no gift is as valuable as giving ourselves and using what we have to serve Him.

I will never hear this song again without picturing that Zambian playing for the Newborn King…offering the only gift he has.

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Today, what gift will you give the King?

FURTHER READING:

Titus 3:4-5; 2 Corinthians 8:12; Colossians 3:23-24; Ephesians 6:7

Lisa has been married to Ted for over 20 years and they have two teenage sons. Lisa administers Fresh Start’s Facebook and blog, and loves hanging out with and impacting teenage girls for Christ.

More Than…
By Jen Wollner

“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Lamentations 3:23 (NLT)

Two years ago, I had a rough three days. I could have blamed it on a million things, but the truth of the matter was that I was irritable and everyone was paying the price. That third night I tried to sleep, but as I lay awake in bed, my mind swirled with discouraging thoughts: “You are a horrible wife and mother. Your husband and kids don’t deserve this. You should be ashamed of yourself! They’d probably be better off without you. You might as well just give up because this is how you’ve always been and how you’ll always be…selfish to the core. You’re a failure and a hypocrite. You say you love God, but if you really did, you wouldn’t treat others like garbage. You’re causing permanent damage to your relationships…they’ll never forgive you. You aren’t fooling anyone…you’ll never be…enough.” On and on the thoughts continued as I drifted off to sleep…

…then morning came…

Before I could even open my eyes or process the fact that it was time to get up, I heard a soft song playing in my head. The lyrics were sweet music to my weary soul…

“You are more than the choices that you make. You are more than the sum of your past mistakes. You are more than the trouble you create. You’ve been remade.” (1)

As these words and truth repeated over and over in my mind, I felt the forgiveness of God wash over me. I felt His love and mercy rush into my heart, kicking out the shame and guilt. I praised Him for His compassions that come with the dawn of each morning, drowning out the lies that flourish in the darkness.

Because of Him, I am more than my bad choices and the trouble I bring on myself and those around me. I’m more than the voices in my head want me to believe. I’m not defined solely by my actions, but by my Father. I have been redeemed and remade. I am more…

…because of His faithfulness.

GOING DEEPER:
1. What lies are swirling around in your head today? How can you exchange them for the truth of God’s love and mercy?

FURTHER READING:
Psalm 139:13-14; 1 John 4:10; Romans 6:18, 8:1

(1) “You Are More” by Tenth Avenue North. Written by Jason Ingram and Mike Donehey. Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC.

Jen and her husband are busily parenting three elementary-aged children. She serves on the leadership team for Mission: Hope, Oakwood’s orphan care ministry.

Living in the Now

By Susan Klein

“Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, ‘we have seen remarkable things today.”’

Luke 5:26 (NIV)

Do you consider yourself to be someone who "lives in the now”? Until recently, I thought I did. Then, I heard a message from my pastor that gave me pause to reconsider. He pointed out how the “now” suffers when we get stuck in our past or focus too much on our future. He also said our thought life and attitude will let us know how we are living “right now.” As I listened to these words, I felt a jab of introspection coming on.

I tend to be a planner. As soon as my consciousness arouses in the morning, my thoughts start running through the day, and even the week. My lists tend to grow by the hour. At night, I often struggle with sleep because my brain won’t turn off, evaluating the day’s events and scrutinizing my mistakes. Sometimes, I even miss out on pieces of conversation with people because my mind is already jumping to the next topic. Doesn’t sound too “now”-focused. And what about my attitude? Am I grateful to God for blessing me in the now, or am I worrying about future things that haven’t happened yet?

Reading the verse above, I can visualize that room full of people, attentively listening to Jesus and focusing on the healing He’d just performed. They were so filled with awe and wonder at His words and actions that all they could do was praise God and talk about it for the rest of the day. They were so immersed in the “now” that they probably mentioned it to everyone they encountered as they made their way home. I doubt anyone said, “Well, that sure was amazing, but I need to get home to make dinner and do laundry.” I’ll bet they were still in the “now” of God’s presence as they laid their heads to rest that night. What a pleasant way to fall asleep!

Let’s not miss out on what God is doing or saying in the moment because we’re too busy planning the future or dredging up the past. He’s let go of our past sins and He promises to provide for our future needs, so why waste time worrying about what hasn’t happened yet? Let’s try not to “get around to” or “schedule” our time with Him, rather let’s make a point to steep ourselves in His presence in every moment, relishing the awe of Him.

Are you living in the now?!!

GOING DEEPER:

1. What thoughts or attitudes might be keeping you tied to the past or fretting about the future?

2. Try walking through a whole day living in the “now.”

FURTHER READING:

Proverbs 16:9; Joshua 24:14-15; Luke 10:40-41

Susan is married to Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. Susan is part of the Peacemaking Team at Oakwood.

Just Because

By Karen D’Amore

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

1 John 3:18 (NLT)

It was an ordinary day: not a holiday, anniversary, birthday or any other special occasion. I entered my vehicle to leave for work and found a card taped to the steering wheel. The unexpected sentiment was left by my husband…just because!  It’s not the first time he’s left something in my vehicle, taped to the bathroom mirror, or in my suitcase when I’m traveling. These unexpected expressions of love have always impelled me to ask, “What prompted this?” To which he always replies, “Just because!”  Something always draws me to believe that these random expressions of love must be contingent upon something I’ve done!

I doubt that my husband even realizes how much those “just because,” unexpected displays of love warm my heart. Knowing that his actions are spurred by heartfelt emotion versus being dictated by a date on the calendar fills my love tank to overflowing! And I love that he always leaves these surprises someplace for me to find in his absence, allowing me to carry that piece of him with me when we’re apart.

As my relationship with Christ grows more personal and intimate, I’ve become more aware of His perpetual “just because”  personalized expressions of love. Knowing best how to fill my love tank, God expresses His “just because”  love for me…through the beauty, complexity and creativity of His creations. ^“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen…” (Romans 1:20a, NASB) Cognizant of how powerfully nature touches my heart and soul, God becomes visible to me through His creations.

Every time I gaze upon a masterfully brilliant sunrise or sunset, I see the signature… Love, God  woven into the tapestry of His hand-painted sky. When He nudges me to look out the window, just in time, to catch a glimpse of a grazing deer, my heart hears Him whisper…Love, God. With each expression engraved in my memory, an invisible God becomes visible through His signature, Love, God.

Scripture assures us that God’s love is NOT contingent upon anything we’ve done. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8, NLT).  This powerful display of “just because”  love stretches beyond human comprehension. And to think that, still today, as undeserving sinners, God longs for us to experience His personal expressions of love…

…just because!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Watch for God’s love notes!

FURTHER READING:

John 3:16; Romans 5:6-11

Married to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon and Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility. She’s on the Oakwood Women’s Ministry Special Events planning team.

Regifting
By Vernette Kureck

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)

To give an unwanted gift to someone else or to give something one previously received as a gift is called regifting. More than half the adults recently surveyed found regifting acceptable. In fact, even the etiquette experts at Emily Post Institute approve of the practice in some circumstances.

Here are some things to consider before regifting: What is the gift’s condition? Only new, unopened gifts should be considered. Don’t give items that have been owned for a long time. Generally, if you have to dust it off, it is not regiftable. Also, what are your intentions? Are you giving a gift just to give a gift? Is this something the recipient would really like or need, or are you giving it because you ran out of time or need to reciprocate? Also, common sense recommends that you only regift items to people who are not going to see the original giver.

What do you think the best Giver of the best Gift thinks of regifting? God’s best Gift, of course, is His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. For some people, Jesus is an unwanted gift. For others, He is the best gift they have ever received and they want to share Him with others. If that describes you, what condition are you in to share? Have you been allowing Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, to work in your life, or do you need to do some spiritual dusting? Generally, the longer Jesus resides in your life, the more the qualities of His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control should shine forth from you. What you have will be seen as a desirable gift, a wanted gift to those around you—and a needed gift, regardless. Beyond that, the beauty of regifting Jesus is that He is multiplied. It is spiritual math! “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, NIV).

Jesus came as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. Most people know the story. But a gift isn’t truly possessed until it is unwrapped and used. God gave His Son to save mankind. To save you. To save me. Someday, we will see the Original Giver and He will know what we did with His gift. Knowing the joy of His salvation, let us rejoice in sharing that truth with others. Give the ultimate regift.

GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you prepared to share God’s greatest Gift? If not, what’s holding you back?

FURTHER READING:
John 6:53-57; Hebrews 7:24-25

Vernette and her husband Ken have been married over 40 years. They have been blessed with eight grandchildren from their two sons and their wives.

A New Man

By Tracy Smith

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

Our church has a feature called “Stories” - - videotaped testimonies that are played during a sermon when it pertains to what the pastor is teaching about.

This summer, a man shared during the “Stories of Grace” series. He told us of some bad choices and unfortunate decisions he had made as a young man that resulted in his being arrested. He spoke of how he can look back at his life and see how he was pursued by God. He shared about his choice to follow Jesus and how his life has changed by that decision and how he lives his life in a completely different way now that he follows Jesus. [1]

Both of my sons know this man since he works with our youth group. My husband and I spoke to each boy about the video testimony and the first thing each of them said was, “He’s the last person I would ever think would have been arrested!” This comment allowed us to have an awesome discussion with them about how God can change a person. We discussed how a person can be living in a way that leads to bad decisions and heartbreak, but once they allow God into their lives to do His work, all of that changes. The video testimony showed this in such a beautiful way: As he talked, he was very serious as he shared his journey, but then, just before the video fades out, it shows him laughing and joyful.

The Bible has many examples of people who change once they encounter Jesus. Matthew went from a tax collector, who in the culture of the day was typically deceitful, to one of his twelve disciples (Matthew 9:9-17).  Zacchaeus, another tax collector, gave money to the poor and paid back all those he cheated four times what he stole from them (Luke 19:1-10). Saul/Paul thought he was doing God’s work by persecuting Christians, but after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he became one of the pillars of the early Church (Acts 9:1-19).

Of course, once we know Jesus we can still make decisions that are not in our best interest, but at that point, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us through those rough times. We have to remember that no matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done, Jesus can make us new.

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Read the stories of the individuals in Scripture mentioned above. Is there something about one of their stories that resonates with you?

FURTHER READING:

Romans 6:6-7; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9

[1] http://www.oakwoodnow.org/resources/stories/mike-belland.html

Along with being a wife and mother to two boys, Tracy is a ministry assistant at Oakwood, serves on the Women’s Ministry Special Events Team and works with a great group of Junior High girls.

All to Myself

By Jeannine Sawall

"I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.”

Hosea 6:6 (NLT)

Two years ago, some friends and I were talking about our quiet times with the Lord: when it works best for our schedules (morning versus evening) and how having routine quiet times impacts not only our daily lives, but our family’s lives as well. As we continued our conversation, the question came up about quiet times on Sundays. If you’re headed to church, do you need to have a quiet time on Sunday, or is your time at church good spiritual nourishment for the day. There were varying answers; neither right nor wrong. But there was an answer I loved the best. One of my friends said, “I still have a quiet time on Sunday because I love having Him all to myself.”

That answer has stuck with me.  Oftentimes, my quiet time gets pushed back in my day due to busy schedules and getting the kids off for school. Even Sunday mornings are gallant efforts to move everyone efficiently out the door to church, let alone have a quiet time before we go.  While I know quiet times are a vital part of my daily existence, sometimes they seem to be one more thing I need to check off on my “to-do list” before I can get on with my day. 

However, after hearing my friends answer, I’ve come to the conclusion that a change in my “heart-titude” will affect how I look at my quiet time. When I approach the throne out of dedication to “doing the right Christian thing,” yes, I get “credit” for having spent time with the Lord…and, more often than not, in His great grace, God fills me and meets with me, despite my “Quick! Let’s get it done” attitude.  But when I approach Him out of devotion, with the heart of one who longs to be with her Lord, I come away not just with enough to get me through the day, but I come away overwhelmed by His love and overflowing with His glory. 

The Lord desires our love over sacrifice. He wants us to know Him and love Him more than He wants us to do our duty to Him. Our heart attitudes should reflect the privilege He gives us when we come together. Rather than HAVING to have a quiet time, we GET to have a quiet time because there’s no greater joy than having Him all to ourselves!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  What does your heart reflect as you make time for your quiet time?

2.  How can you change your schedule to allow time to have the Lord all to yourself?

FURTHER READING:

Matthew 6:6, 31-33; Psalm 119:105

Jeannine is a wife and mother of four active boys. She works in the property management business. Jeannine serves with the Oakwood café and is actively involved in ministry to those walking through grief.

The Good Interruption

By Lexi Ellis

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once, they left their nets and followed him.

Matthew 4:19-20 (NLT)

I was always taught interrupting was bad. Being one of three sisters, we had to wait our turn to speak. My parents wisely adopted a system for when we wanted to interrupt a conversation they were having with another adult. We would put our hand on theirs and once there was an appropriate break in conversation, they said, “excuse me,” and talked to us. As we got older, they taught us how to politely wait for a good moment to enter the conversation.

Recently, God interrupted my normal routine. I had a plan, a system…and then God revealed something. It’s funny, I responded to God the same way my parents did when we interrupted them. It seemed rude, inconvenient and surprising. I desperately wanted to smile at God and say, “You need to wait.”

And yet, as I looked at Scripture, I began to realize that God interrupts our normal routine with an invitation to actively follow Him. And this is about the only good interruption I’ve ever seen. This invitation to enter an active relationship with Christ - - this invitation to come and follow - - often interrupts our normal routine and the plans we make for ourselves. God called Moses in the midst of shepherding. God called Esther for “such a time as this” in the midst of comfort and luxury in being queen. God called Samuel while he was sleeping. Christ called His disciples in the midst of their vocation. The angel called Mary in the midst of her engagement for a socially-daring and divinely determined task.

Throughout Scripture, we see God’s invitation to come and follow in the midst of our normal routine. It’s quite the interruption. And yet, it’s good. Because when we surrender, when we stop controlling and instead follow Him, we allow God to use our situations and our circumstances to not only shape us, but point others to Him. His Spirit begins a new work in our lives. When we allow God to interrupt our normal routine, we grow in Christ and as disciplemakers.

I’ve been a Christian for years and yet I still struggled to recognize that God’s recent interruption in my normal routine - - my way of doing things - - was good. If we have a relationship with God, then we trust He has a plan, one that includes interruptions of what we want. I’m thankful for the reminder that these interruptions are good. In fact, they’re invitations to come, follow Him and point others to my Savior.

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Looking back, how have you typically responded to God’s good interruptions?

2.  How is God interrupting your normal routine now?

FURTHER READING:

Luke 1:26-38; Luke 5:1-11

Lexi is married to Andrew and has a puppy named Calvin. She serves with Oakwood’s Children’s Ministries, teaches sixth grade at Silver Lake Intermediate School and is the Fresh Start Coordinator.

“SON” Delays

By Karen D’Amore

“Be still, and know that I am God…”

Psalm 46: 10a (NIV)

When unexpected circumstances left us suddenly shorthanded, my work schedule was forced into over-drive...life accelerated at a constant speed of BUSY! Busyness perpetuated busyness as social events and commitments eventually mimicked my work schedule. Ultimately, that daunting schedule took its toll on me and my spirit descended into a constant flux of irritability and weariness.

One morning, while getting ready for work, a comment on the morning news caught my attention. The newscaster covering the morning traffic used a term that was unfamiliar and slightly comical to me. He warned early morning commuters to expect traffic slowdowns due to “sun delays.” With the brightness and position of the early morning sun blinding and impairing vision, drivers were forced to “slow down.”  Video footage of local interstates showed traffic snarled and crawling to a stop due to impairment caused by the sun.

I had never heard the term “sun delay” nor have I heard it since. However, I realized that I desperately needed a “SON delay.” In my busyness, I had neglected to slow down and fix my eyes on the SON of God.

I streamlined my schedule and carved out intimate time for Jesus. To reserve quiet time, I recorded “SON Delay” time blocks in my day timer. Now, as I look at my schedule, I’m reminded to slow down and fix my eyes on the Son! Becoming intentional at setting aside intimate time to “be still” and sit at the Lord’s feet has prevented my schedule from becoming overrun with busyness.

Living in the woods affords me the ultimate habitat for being still before God. The breathtaking landscape draws me to see His fingerprints in every corner of my serene surroundings. As sitting outside draws me into a constant battle with the blinding sun, I continue to work on being solely focused on the Son! By allowing Him to consume my focus, Jesus impairs my ability to see anything other than Him. And once I began to experience God, in those moments of stillness, my spirit of irritability and weariness was refreshed and replenished with peace.

God’s invitation to “be still” unlocks the joy of knowing Him. It allows Him to fill the reservoirs of our soul with true refreshment and equip us to face life’s challenges. As you acknowledge the importance of slowing down and “being still,” let every sunrise serve as a reminder to set aside time for…

…SON delays!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  What changes are needed for you to make time to be still?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 131:2, Psalm 62:5; Acts 17:27-28

Married to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon and Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility. She’s on the Oakwood Women’s Ministry Special Events planning team.