A Christmas Tradition? I Hope So...

A Wonderful Surprise

A year ago at Thanksgiving, we had a wonderful guest in our home. She was far away from family and couldn't make it home for the holiday, so we invited her to spend Thanksgiving with us. After a day full of fun, baking, and feasting, I went to bed tired but happy.

The next morning I awoke to a wonderful surprise. The Christmas tree was up in the living room. I assumed that my husband had taken it out and set out the kids' ornament boxes as a surprise. As I walked through the house however, I noticed things weren't just out...they were decorated! I knew that Tom wouldn't have done it...Christmas elves (in the form of three late night teenagers) had decorated as a gift. And what a wonderful gift it was!

This year I was hopeful that my elves would return. Our guest wasn't here this year, so I wasn't sure if two elves would do the job. As I walked out into the living room this morning I was thrilled to see that two elves had again visited...and this time, they made (and decorated Christmas cookies as well!)

The snow was falling outside too...so it feels like a white Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. What fun!

(I'm wondering whether once "elves" go to college if they still decorate, or if they pass on their decorating job to the younger "elves"!)

Puzzled

Have you ever tried to put something together without directions? I am usually pretty good at solving a puzzle. Today however, was a different story.

I went to church today to put together a puppet theater. It was constructed of PVC pipe, connectors, and a red & white tent top. I had seen the finished product, so I was confident I could easily reassemble the theater. I was so wrong!

I made a few critical mistakes:

1. I didn't know that the theater was put together with 3 different sizes of PVC pipe. (They all looked the same at the start!)
   
2. I didn't realize that when someone had taken it apart, some pieces were put back together with connectors that didn't belong to them.
3. I didn't have the directions or blueprints.
4. I didn't have the help from the one who put it together in the first place.

After working on it for quite awhile and becoming frustrated, a friend walked by and said, "You know, I think I saw the directions for that theater in another room. Would you like them?" Immediately I said, "YES!" She went and got the directions and I could easily see my mistakes. I now knew where the two longest pieces belonged. I saw that the structure for the tent top had been put together with the wrong length of pipe. I also saw where each of the connectors belonged. Within minutes the puppet theater was assembled and it looked exactly like I remembered it.

Isn't life so similar? We go through life knowing what we want or what we think life should be like. We try things on our own, determined we can figure it out and get the results we want. But it doesn't work that way. Trying to do life on our own is much like me trying to put together the puppet theater without the directions.

1. God has designed each one of us uniquely. There is a purpose and a plan for your life and for mine. Trying to figure out life without understanding all the pieces is frustrating.
2. There are some things in life that are not for my best. In trying to put my life together I may try to connect with some things that are not for my best. Just like the pieces that were put together by someone else, they don't belong.
   
3. In order for life to be all that God intended, we need the blueprints or directions. God has given us His Word, the Bible. When we use that as a guide for our lives, it gives the direction we need to have a life with purpose and meaning.
4. God is the designer and we need Him in our lives. Imagine how easy it would have been if the designer of the puppet stage had been with me. He could have shown me what each piece was meant for and put the stage together as it was designed. God wants to do that for you too. He designed you and knows you best. He wants to show you how much He loves you and wants to show you what is best for your life.
   

When my friend walked by and asked if I wanted the directions I could have said, "No thanks, I think I'll figure this out." But that would have been foolish. There were things I didn't understand about the design. The same is true about life. We need the One who designed life to be in our lives, giving us direction and the life that He has planned for us.

Are you tired of doing life your own way?

God designed you. He made you to be in relationship with Him. However, when we choose to do things our own way without God it is called sin and sin keeps us from God. In His plan, He made a way for us to be forgiven. That was through His Son Jesus, who came to earth to die in our place for all the wrong things we have done. Nothing we can do can get us to God. He made the one and only way through His Son.

Would you like God, who created you, to be in your life and give you the hope and help you need? It is really quite simple. It is seeing your need for God and asking Him to be a part of your life.

If you would like to have God in your life you can pray right now. You can pray something like this...
"Dear God, I am tired of trying to do life my own way. I need you in my life. I realize that you have made me and have a purpose for my life. I know that I have done many things that have kept me away from you. Please forgive me for all the wrong things I have done in my life. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to die in my place on the cross. I receive you now as Lord and Savior. Please come into my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be."

If you prayed that prayer congratulations. God is now in your life! I'd love for you to comment below and I'd love to give you some tools to help you on your new life with God.