Where do you expect to see Jesus this Christmas?

The Christmas season is So. Stinking. Busy. It’s like a race that begins the day after Thanksgiving and goes full speed through Christmas Eve.

As I was thinking about what topics to write about for the next few weeks, I decided that you probably don’t need more suggestions for making cookies to give away to others, or ways to serve others while going to the parties you might rather not attend.

Instead, I figure that you probably need the same thing I need - to slow down and connect with Jesus, who is God with us.

How in the world do we do that? My brain is going a mile a minute thinking about gift lists and schedules and decorations. How to fit it all in and do all the things. Yet what I need is to

Slow…….

Down…..

And just be. Be still.

Be quiet.

Worship the King.

What does that look like?

Before answering that question, answer this one. What are your expectations this Christmas season? How would you like to feel on December 26? Closer to Jesus or exhausted, worn out and disappointed?

The Christmas advent season talks about hope, joy, peace, and love. Where might you expect to find those things? Sometimes we find them where we least expect them - Jesus has always been showing up in unexpected places, right from the beginning!

I’m finding that one of keys to “finding” Jesus in this season (and probably any other) is to be looking and expecting Him to “show up”. What am I looking for and where am I expecting to find hope, joy, peace, and love?

This past Sunday, our family drove our son and his roommate back to college after their Thanksgiving break. Driving 2 and a half hours each way, I had plenty of time to think about all these things and wonder where Jesus would show Himself on the highway in western Wisconsin.

Two instances come to mind. One, after we got the boys and their stuff into their dorm room, my husband prayed for them both that they would finish the semester strong and be a light in that dark place. Then he hugged them both at once - one arm around each. (We’ve known his roommate since he was born, so this was a normal thing.) I didn’t cry (this time!), but that hug almost did me in! It was so sweet and special.

Then, during the drive back east as the sun was setting behind us, the shadows on the rural Wisconsin hills were so stinking beautiful! It was a gorgeous sunset. Jesus is an amazing artist!

So I’m not sure that the way to avoid feeling exhausted and disappointed on December 26 is necessarily to cancel doing all the normal Christmas things. It probably wouldn’t hurt to cut out at least some of them, though…

Instead, what if we keep living our lives and doing the things, but be looking each day for where Jesus might show Himself? Where we might find hope, joy, peace, and love this season?

I bet that if we’re looking and expecting, we’ll see…