Silent Night, Holy Night

This year God has called me to do something I never thought I would do. To choose to not drive north to Wisconsin to spend Christmas with friends, but instead stay home and spend it with Him. Being single with no immediate family in the area, for the past several years I've spent Christmas Day with my good friend, Andrea, who lives about two hours away.

It happened yesterday when I sat quiet enough to listen for God's still, small voice and I got the impression I was to stay home.

"Do you mean, here, all alone on Christmas God?"

"But, you won't be alone. You'll have Me like always. You and I have a lot to talk about."

But, it's Christmas."

"What better time to spend a day together. Just you and Me?"

"Okay, but You'll have to show me this is really what you want."

And God did show me. I asked two friends to pray for me and they affirmed it was a positive thing to do. And the idea grew on me. A day of solitude with Jesus on the day we celebrate as His birthday. But what would Andrea think? Won't she be disappointed? I'd pray a bit more about it. Then a long-time friend called and invited me to Christmas dinner tomorrow late in the afternoon. Was this God again, saying after a long time alone with him it would be nice to have a meal with good friends? I told her I'd let her know this morning because I had given it until this morning--Christmas Eve day--to decide for sure.

This morning I woke up to a gentle snow. The picture is the tree in front of my living room window. It was like being in the middle of a snow globe. With God's beauty in view, I opened the daily devotional, Streams in the Desert, to today's reading and here is what it said, "We would be better Christians if we spent more time alone, and we would actually accomplish more if we attempted less, and spent more time in isolation and quiet waiting upon God."

Well, there it was. Plain and simple. I got excited and began listing out the areas of my life that I need to be in prayer over. My writing of course. My volunteer work with ACFW and church and community. My relationships. My health. I don't mean to make it sound like it's all about me, because it isn't. It's about my relationship with Him. The One whose birthday we celebrate tomorrow. Every one of those things I listed: writing, volunteering, relationships, health. They all intertwine with Him and my relationship with Him. He provides everything I need for life as Peter states in one of his letters. He is my life source and all areas of my life must be bathed in prayer.

I called Andrea and she understood. In fact, in the middle of the night she had a sense she should tell me not to come tomorrow. That maybe the winter weather was too dicey. I don't think the weather was why she had that feeling. It was God.

So tonight I sit here excited to be up early tomorrow morning...probably before dawn and to begin my day in the presence of my Lord.

Happy Birthday Jesus!