Anyone that knows anything about me knows that I LOVE Christmas! I basically watch my collection of Christmas movies (16 total and growing) all year round and usually start listening to Christmas music off and on in July. I know....it's a problem for some--but not for me! =) I don't know about you, but just listening to Christmas music brings a smile to my face. It always reminds me of my family and the time of year when most everybody seems to be a little bit nicer and happier. I am also one of the crazy few that adores and hopes for a white Christmas every year. Growing up in Nebraska the cold and snow is not something new to me; as long as I have a four wheel drive vehicle to safely get around in and am dressed warm enough-I'm a happy girl!!
As I am newly discovering with most other things in life, having a child has changed my outlook on the holiday season as well. This year in particular, more than the past few, the world seems to be in an extreme state of discontent and chaos. There appears to be more hatred and judgment than kindness and compassion. More mass shootings and fear of terrorist attacks than people volunteering at shelters. More people increasing their knowledge on foreign affairs and political topics than getting to know the human beings around them. These are dark times we live in---however, as a Christian I know that things will continue to get worse before they get better. With this being said I find it more important than ever to teach my daughter what Christmas is all about-Jesus Christ. God sending his only son to save us all from our sins.
I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember. My mother was great at getting us involved in our church and attending regularly. But the stories and lessons I learned as a child and a young lady never truly sunk in until I decided on my own to surrender myself and follow him. Accepting that I belong to our God. He created me with a higher purpose and something more than this world. For those of you that don't know I just made this decision for myself less than two years ago and it was the best one I could've ever made! One day I will go in deeper about surrendering to God and asking him to show me where and what I should be doing with my life--but back to Christmas for now =)
Doing the Christmas pageant at my church this year has also been another eye opener for me. Today is day 7 of push week which means after today's performance we will have done it 7 days in a row with 8 total performances. After listening to and seeing the full story of Jesus' life that many times in a row it has hit home more than ever this year what Christmas is really about. Beyond listening to and seeing the story for myself it has also been as a result of witnessing the reactions of others to seeing his story played out in beautiful music and dialogue. Hearing stories of others realizing through the pageant the extreme sacrifice that Jesus made for us is the reason everyone puts all the time and dedication into making the production what it is.
This life and this body we are given is not about us or the here and now. Yes, as a yoga instructor I do believe that living in the present moment is the best way to get the most out of life but it is to be kind, generous, compassionate and present in each moment. This time, this place, these bodies are our middle ground--where we develop our soul and decide what we will be doing with ourselves after this life. Now, please remember I do not claim to be an all knowing Christian that can spit off versus (yet) to support my thoughts/theories. I DO have a great Christian support team that I ask a TON of questions ;-) ! All I know and believe is that there is a really old book, written by several different people over the span of hundreds of years that has a lot of really cool stories which tells us that there is something better after this life IF we take advantage of living this life the way he wants us to. No, that way is not always the easiest or the path of least resistance and YES we are all sinners; God knows that---which leads me back to CHRISTmas! None of us are perfect-we know that, He knows that and the Bible says so. The one and only way we can be forgiven and live that super awesome life after this one is to accept Jesus Christ as our savior and surrender ourselves to the will of God. He sent Jesus to be born on Christmas, that is what we are celebrating! Our savior, AKA the man who died to save our souls, was born on December 25th!!! This was a real flesh and blood man who was born from a woman and lived a real life. He drank water, ate food and walked among man. He was not an angel or a holy spirit or a ghost but a man. This man, who later went through severe persecution, judgement and physical abuse to eventually die for us by being crucified (which might I add is WAY more gruesome than the average person thinks--watch Passion of the Christ if you want a better idea.) We all know this story but to actually think about him and the pain he went through for us has just humbled my heart this year in a way it never before has. It also breaks my heart to see that it is no longer only about him.
When judgement day comes how will you feel? I know when I hear those rapture trumpets, yeah it might be terrifying, chaotic and difficult (even for Christians) I know at the end of it all I will be sitting with the all mighty and all of my family-blood and religious alike (those that were saved, of course.) I know for a fact that not all of my friends believe what I do and I'm sure there may even be a few who 'unfollow' or 'unfriend' me on facebook for my 'God posts.' But ya know what? I don't care. What I care about is that I have never felt more whole in my entire life. I know I've never been more happy, less scared and more sure that I am right where I should be; doing exactly what I should be doing. I also know I've never had more loving, accepting and caring people in my life than I do now that I am so involved in my church and surrounding myself with other Christians. So for those on the outside looking in with judgemental eyes I have a question for you: If it's all a bunch of crock and God isn't real and there isn't a heaven what's the worst that believing in God does for a person? Because from my perspective it's been nothing but amazing since I have made my decision to surrender myself to God's will and if I can inspire ONE person to rethink what they believe in or even just to come to the pageant and listen to his story--it is all a success.
Whether you believe or not--whether you know the true story of Christmas or not, I encourage you to attend First Baptist Raytown's Christmas Pageant this year. We have one more show today (12.6.15 at 3:30) and 4 more shows next weekend. This performance will also be streamed LIVE on the church's website next Friday and Saturday at 7pm so even if you do not live in Kansas City or can't make it you can still enjoy the performance and the amazing story of our savior. I have been beyond blessed by being cast as a speaking role that also has solos. =) It has been hands down the most memorable Christmas experience of my life so far! Have a Merry Christmas season, everyone!!
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