Christmas Countdown 2018 Day 18

Oh my…the days to the “main event” are winding down, aren’t they my friend?

I am feeling the crunch as projects are dotting our counter tops. 

Dotting. 

I use that poetically.

Our counter tops in the kitchen are completely overflowing with ornaments to paint, address labels half filled in as we await the arrival of cards from Shutterfly, notes of things I need to do, mail half opened, receipts, gift bags to deliver and ones received…not an inch visible that isn’t also covered with crumbs because how can you clean a counter that is edge to edge chaos?

There is a pile of bags dumped on the dining room floor and more spilling out of the closet in a spare bedroom. A spare bedroom who’s twin needs preparation for our two out of state kiddos to be made to feel at home in so soon…so soon. 

And yes.

This too is Christmas. 

The reality of the Christ child coming and the story of His birth has somehow taken on all these other traditions and celebrations and I can lose my focus in a heartbeat. 

But that is not just a December problem for us…would you agree?

Let’s look at our verse for Day 18…

As you sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. 

We heard one of our pastor’s this year speak about that word “sent”…how it is a missional word..

It is the Greek word…apostello – to order one to go to a place appointed.

We who are saved are called to go out to an appointed place for an appointed purpose. 

And it is to the world that we are called. 

To go out.

Into the world. 

For the purpose of pointing the world to Christ. 

We are not saved to have a perfectly wonderful life all safe and tidy and neatly packaged as we wait for His return. 

We are saved to serve and share the Gospel…

to be His hands and feet…

not working for our salvation…

not earning points or striving to be loved…

But out of His finished work on the Cross, we go out into the world and our lives are a testimony of what it means to no longer live for ourselves but it is Christ who lives within us. 

Called out of darkness and into light so that we can be LIGHT in a dark world. 

He was sent into the world to save us and now He sends us into the world to tell others about Him. 

Much to ponder today as we chip away at our tasks…much to cause us to switch our focus back onto the Christ of Christmas <3