Everywhere I go I hear in my heart and in my spirit the message of simplicity. Our Church is going to share a message this Christmas called; “Simple Christmas”. I honestly believe that this is God’s heart for us… to return to the simple things. As some of you may know these past few months have been incredibly trying for me and my family. We’ve dealt with my Dad’s sickness, the loss of several of our family members and financial struggles. Through it all God has been more than faithful. Even in my student teaching this semester, he gave me favor and the strength to complete all of the significant projects I had to complete and carried me through the times where I didn’t think I could handle the pressures of life . During those months all I needed was Jesus and the love and support of my family and friends. It was that simple. Being able to watch a movie with all of my family together in the same room: simple. I’m finding that the purest and most enjoyable moments of my life now are the simple things. During this holiday season Jesus is calling us back to himself, the simplicity and beauty of his gospel message and the quiet strength that his love provides. I went Christmas shopping at the mall today, BIG mistake. I was so overwhelmed by the sounds and the lines and the foreign men asking if I wanted to try a dead sea scrub facial. This is not what Christmas is, it’s so simple. God wants us to know him as Savior, not just as a little baby in a manger. He is also calling us to not just be thankful for the things that we have but to be thankful for the things that we don’t have. Scattered throughout scripture are references to riches and material possessions and how meaningless they are. Yes God wants to bless us with things, but when we are all about stuff all of the time, it takes our focus off of the things that are eternal. God tells us to store up our treasures in heaven where moths cannot destroy or thieves cannot steal. This Christmas I am glad that I don’t have to keep up with the latest technologies or fashion trends or this or that. I’m just a simple girl, wanting a simple life, a simple Christmas.
I really enjoyed reading this. I am praying for a simple Christmas.