"Let's rush down to Bethlehem right now! Let's see what's happening! Let's experience what the Lord has told us about!" the Shepherds in Luke 2:15
The Shepherds excitement is contagious. Their desire to experience the good news drove them out of the hills of the ordinary and right before the Royal babe in the manger.
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. the Magi in Matthew 2:10-11
The joy of the Magi compelling. They traveled great distances from their homeland to fall on their knees in worship before the new King.
The Shepherds had angels visit. The Magi saw the star. Heaven was communicating through a sign and their response was wholehearted abandonment of their present reality and an embrace of God's gift, heaven here on earth.
Large or small, I think Heaven is always communicating with earth. Today, I consider the signs God is giving to me today: the gentle falling rain outside the window, the warmth of a child's hug, the air in my lungs. He is here. Found right here in the ordinary moment of the day, I fall on my knees and worship the great King.
As you celebrate the birth of Jesus, may you find yourself running to experience Him as the Shepherds and overjoyed in worship as the Magi.
Living in sync includes a response to the Divine. This is living life at its best.
Merry Christmas!
The older I get, the more uncomfortable I am with captured & penned animals. I remember walking through a zoo about five years ago and really struggling with it. I am not sure what increased my awareness and sensitivity that day, but it's never gone away. Couldn't shake the thought that there's got to be more to their lives than this...
And the same thought struck me recently about my own life. For whatever reasons, I felt like a caged bird on the inside. And I just wanted to swing open the door and fly.
Why was there a cage? I think it was my way of organizing my life in such a way that everything could be well under control, predictable, safe, and successful. I wanted to build my own world and live there.
However, the very things I thought would make me happy and secure, didn't. They became the cage that trapped me. The life I desired was domesticating me and robbing me of the adventure I was created for.
I began to imagine life on the outside of the cage. Free to fly. Free to sing. Free to catch a breeze and soar. Free to nest in a great big oak. Clearly, this is living at its best for me.
As you pursue your life vision, be careful to build a nest, not a cage. It is easy to get caught up in designing and assembling a perfect life script, which becomes a trap rather than a launching pad. The alternative is the freedom to pursue new places, see new things, and be all that you were created to be.
Living in sync is about self confidence, opportunities to grow, moments to share, and permission to live your life without self-restrictions. Let the bird fly.
"Let him that would move the world, first move himself." Socrates
I recently had the pleasure of a canoe ride in the beautiful hill country of Texas. In the peaceful ride down the Frio River I saw the smallest duck swimming alongside.
What struck me was the 'wake' his little body created, providing a distinct picture of where he had been as he progressed in where he was headed.
This duck reminded me that my presence makes a difference. That where I have been, where I am, and where I am going is noticeable.
You matter. Where you go, what you do, and who you are makes a difference. Your life, small as it may be leaves a 'wake' just as this little duck.
How can you live & move in such a way that your 'wake' is for the good of yourself, those around you, and the world you live in?
A few observations of friends who have left a powerful 'wake' in my life....
- Hug often.
- Smile big.
- Encourage lavishly.
- Laugh out loud.
- Learn names.
- Say thank you.
- Lend a helping hand.
- Be real.
Living life at its best is the power to control what you can control; and to intentionally move in sync with the design and purpose you were created for. There you will find a wake of freedom for yourself and encouragement for others.
