"This was the worst dress rehearsal I have ever seen in all my years of teaching." said a lady I met at the dog park last Monday. She was also a part time teacher at the school my children attend. "It's going to be a bad pageant." It was also my 8th School's Christmas Pageant and the last one for my eldest who will be in High school next year (Insert deep sigh here). I hoped the wrinkles would be ironed out by Wednesday.
The place was packed. It was the last show of the season. The kids performed exactly as expected. Some bee bopped to the music, almost falling off the bleachers. Other's sang loudly, right in front of the microphone, totally off key. Some sang shyly with their heads down looking at their feet. There were even a couple of grade 6/7 boys, their arms crossed not singing at all because, "This was totally NOT COOL!" It was an amazing show. I laughed so much..it was great!
"I don't recall her phoning your daughter to colour coordinate their outfits." I laughed at Deb (BFF's Mom) who sat just behind me.
"Wonder when they arranged that?" she replied.
There they stood, two brightly coloured twins, standing in the first row. Zaria found her Mom first and for the whole performance never took her eyes off her Mom. Her eyes bright, she sang the song for no one else. Deb touched my shoulder.
"Look she's searching for you." Kalina was singing half heartily, looking for her Waldo in the sea of humans. Then she found me and her face lit up and she smiled, a smile that would light up the darkest place. A smile that washed away all the gloom in my heart and I blinked back a tear because it felt so good to be loved that much; for a moment I caught a glimpse of how much it means to God for me to find Him in amidst the chaotic world we live in.
Working, driving, shopping, fixing, baking, tiling, studying, writing, volunteering and just being human takes a lot of time. When we focus too much on the things we need to do, we can't find what's really important. If I was too busy doing things...I would have missed that moment with Kalina. Sometimes it's really hard not to focus on what the rest of the world says you need to do and just focus on what God needs you to do. He wants you to smile and enjoy the gift he gave you.
I recently saw parts of the movie Patch Adams, where 'Patch' had to hold up his hand and say what he saw.
"Four fingers." was his reply.
"Look beyond the fingers." his friend replied. As Patch's vision went beyond the fingers, the digits blurred and he now saw eight fingers.
"If you focus on the problem, you will never find the solution."
To see scene
Time and time again, and I do this myself...I focus on the four fingers of life instead of looking beyond. Seeing things anew, seeing the world through the eyes of a creator who loves me. It's so hard to see Him sometimes, I look, but I only see the crowd; War, Hate, Frustrations, Irritations, Worry, Sadness and Loneliness overwhelm my life, my heart fills with darkness, and I can't find Peace, Love, Grace, Hope, Gentleness, Forgiveness and Self-Control.
Four Hundred years before the birth of Christ, there were prophets who saw through the crowd and focused beyond the fingers and found something amazing.
"But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are too small to be among the army groups from Judah, from you will come one who will rule .....His greatness will reach all the earth. He will bring peace."
Micah 5:2, 4-5 NCV
"Shout and be glad, Jerusalem. I am coming, and I will live among you," Says the Lord.
Zechariah 2:10 NCV
It's hard to see God in the crowd of Christmas shoppers. I'd like to challenge you this Christmas to see beyond the Rudolph's and the Frosty's and see what Christ Mas is about.
It's hard to see Christ in the crowd of Santa's, there again, I'd like to challenge you to see beyond religion and take time to get to know the man Jesus.
My wish and prayer for you this Christmas and New Year is to see your Father within the crowd, to find love that has no end, to find peace deep within and joy overflowing. May you be a light in the dark places of the world and of hearts.
Smile, someone loves you.
"She will have a son, and they will name him Immanuel," which means 'God is with us.'
Matthew 1:23
Light a Candle
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