Merry Christmas all!
It's a busy season. Many people have been telling me lately how they still need to go out and get those last minute gifts, how many family Christmases they are scheduled to attend and how busy the parking lots have been at the mall. So much for peace on earth. (Good thing Jesus brought a very different kind of peace that undergirds all visible chaos!) My busy season with programs and events has actually come to an end. As the leader for various church events, November was full of planning, prepping, packing, practicing and praying. It's not a complaint, it's a fact: I hardly had an evening to rest at the apartment.
As I finished up what I needed to do at the church one evening in late November, with time ticking down on a trip to Calgary with the youth, the community Christmas banquet looming ahead and the KZAMM Christmas musical needing attention, I drove home down the pin-straight roads to a cozy evening alone. Maybe I'd read a book; maybe I'd watch a movie; maybe I'd get a long night's sleep!
In the dark, my phone buzzed in the cup holder beside me. Very illegally, I picked it up and read the text. It was a young woman (we'll call her Jackie,) from Manitoba who had recently moved out to Alberta and had hit a very rough patch. She had come into the church just a couple weeks before looking for work. We'd helped her out a bit, gave her some janitorial work as our regular janitors were on vacation, and prayed with her. Her text this tired evening was a request to spend the night on my couch.
There are usually two typical responses to a request such as this: 1) No way; who knows what kind of person that is and how long they'll want to stay and what problems they may cause, etc. etc.; 2) Of course; that's what any Christian should do, help out someone in need; it's biblical, etc. etc. Asking Jesus which response I should give, He placed it very strongly upon my heart to take her in for the night. There went the opportunity of curling up in pillows and blankets with my journal, but here came the opportunity to have some meaningful conversations and point her again towards Jesus.
Jackie came, we ate some pizza and she proceeded to tell me her life's story. Let's just say that God is gracious and faithful and she's learning to lean on Him. He's definitely been there the whole time. She talked and talked and I listened and asked questions. I grew tired; still she talked and still I listened. It didn't matter how busy I had been. It didn't matter how busy I would be tomorrow and how much I desperately needed sleep. It didn't matter the programs that I was putting on. This was front line ministry - a time when God was listening to dear Jackie and responding to her through me. He gave me an opportunity to speak truth and hope into her life as we talked about God.
Jackie talked for three hours. I was exhausted by the time I sunk into bed, but my soul was smiling deeply. In all the busyness of the season, I had allowed Jesus to use me for something that was probably much more important and impactful than any of the events that were going on.
Take time, not just this Christmas season, but all year round when life is so busy that all you want to do is lie down and rest. Pay attention to those requests from people who may seem to take away from your planned schedule, but who are really the schedule that God has laid out for you. You'd be surprised at how many people we can impact with God's love when we just take the time to ask Him what His will is for our today.
