Christmas Came Early For Me!

Do you remember the nativity scene I was wishing for a few posts back? Well bless my husband and my kids(!) they wanted me to have it before Christmas! They thought it was so unfair to open it on Christmas, only to have to pack it up to wait for next year!

I have never really wanted a nativity scene. I always thought they took up too much space in storage and when it's set up, well, I gotta dust the thing!

I remember getting one for my mom one Christmas and she loved it! She loved the beautiful colors that give it that eastern world flair and the intricate details of the painted faces. The angel looks so glorious and the wise men look...well...wise!

Though it never really spoke to me like it did to my mom, I do remember gazing at it sometimes in the glow of the Christmas tree lights, wondering, 'what was it like?' The pageantry of the scene seemed a little off to me, but like stained glass windows in a church, deep red poppies at Remembrance Day or artful renders of the cross at Easter, it pays homage...

Homage to the first, most life-altering events of mankind.

My Nativity scene looks nothing like my mothers. Mine is simple. White and grey. There are no faces. The star is rust colored. There are no fancy colorful fabrics on the backs of the animals. I love it. It symbolizes what I think it would have been like.

On that dark night, few would have even heard that the young couple that had to stay in the stable that night had given birth to a boy. Even lesser known, would have been the fact that he was not just an ordinary boy. He was a king.

If you would have been there, you would have had to look pretty hard to figure out the king-ness of it all.

As you sat in the tavern near the inn, ordering a pint of ale to warm you to your toes, you might have overheard someone talking about it, nodded, glad mom and babe are doing fine. But if you didn't know about the shepherds in the fields, the angels, the magi running around and studying stars to find him, you would have missed the whole thing.

It's true still today - if you don't look deeper into God's Word, you will miss it. Though you've seen the book on store shelves, knowing it's existance, you will miss the most simple, life-altering truth of you could ever know.

Extreme Conditions

...and no. I am not talking about the weather. Yes, here in the prairies, we have become the Great White North with the mercury being frozen in place! Our tires are square, our breath lingers in the air long enough for us to examine it, cars won't start and it is all hitting the 6 o'clock news!

What is also hitting the news is the global financial crisis. It seems to be a constant at every news hour. The part that DOESN'T hit the news?

The God component. The satan component. Let's not fool ourselves. If we were to pull back the fabric of life, we would see an all-out war that would frighten the most highly decorated soldier.

Ephesians 6:12
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The enemy has it out for us. As much as God has a plan for our lives, so does the devil. I have spent the last 9 months watching the enemy try to destroy my farm, my marriage and my life.

Last week, he kicked it into high-gear as I watched him come after my kids. I suppose he has not been very happy that his plans and tactics are producing few results - and what does sometimes hit the mark, is reversed when I consult my Great Commander for the next strategy.

The temperatures outside seem to be a reflection of this latest attack. What do you do when the circumstances are entirely out of your control? I can do absolutely nothing about the biting cold and the brisk winds that seem to make every venture out the door a battle that should go down in history!

Nor can I do anything when the enemy chooses to attack my kids. The conditions of their hearts and the choices they make in school, at a volleyball tournaments, in hockey practice, youth, or at a friend's house are out of my hands.

Though fighting with the economy isn't easy, I can make decisions about how to deal with it based on my time with the Lord and His promises.

So why has satan turned his attacks on my kids?

Because he thinks he knows what my default will be.

Psalm 37:8 "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil."

The enemy is waiting for me to lose it! He is waiting for me get right bent out of shape, do and say things that will completely wreck any faith I have or testimony that my life might bare. He is trying to shred me to pieces and while he's at it, make sure he gets the kids too - cuz if he can wiggle his way into their lives now, with accusations and confusion, he's got strings to pull later on too.

This sound like a losing battle to me. But am I truly defenseless in this? Back to the temps - I might have to deal with it, but I am prepared. I have the right gear. I listen to the weather. My car has been serviced to deal with this extreme cold. My furnace is in good working order. I've got sweaters and long-johns galore!

My extreme battles? I am prepared. I spend time in God's word. I claim His promises to be true. I cover my kids in prayer and go to battle on their behalf - my armor (Eph. 6:10-18) is well used! They go to youth. They hear worship music. God has not hung them out to dry!

Psalm 37:32
"The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; but the Lord will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial."

Yes, extreme conditions exist both on this side of the fabric of life and on the other side.
I'm so glad to have a very big coat and a very big God!