25 Days of CHRISTmas - December 1, 2008

OK, so I'd like to commit to doing this every day for the next 25 days, but in all likelihood, it won't work out, as demonstrated by the historic 30 Days of Praise, which to this day remain 3 days shy of completion. (I still stand on the implication that I never really said they would be 30 consecutive days... Yeah, that's the slippery slope I'm standing on.) Anyway, once again I digress.

So I have already confessed I've caught a bit of the bah-humbugs, and am struggling to find the Christmas spirit; so I am, for the sake of my family and self, trying to truly seek it. I'm looking for the Christ in CHRISTmas, the "reason for the season," the whole truth behind the hoopla.

Truly Christmas is not about the gifts we give or get, but rather about the Gift already given some 2000 years ago in a manger in a far off land. (Sounds almost magical, but is actually absolute unadulterated fact.) And this Gift given continually gives, He is in the heart of all that is good and all that truly matters, Author and Finisher of my faith. (I speak these things in faith through struggles of feelings amidst challenging times.) So I have decided one way to find my Christ in CHRISTmas is to look for Him each day in my daily life. Every day, EVERY day, He is working in my life, the Bible tells me so, and I need to be watchful. So for the 25 days of Christmas it is my goal to share (each day?) the gift "My true Love gave to me..." And I am going to share with you here the gift I have unwrapped each of the days that I continue this post series. (And I figure since I have also used a bit of the 12 Days of Christmas in my plan, I have a little grace on how many days I manage to stick with the task at hand betweennow and December 25th.)

So, here we go...

"On the first day of CHRISTmas my true love gave to me... a burden to pray."

This is truly a gift for me. People all the time tell me, "you're such a prayer warrior." Oh how I desperately wish that were true. I will pray, in the moment as I'm asked, I've even thrown people off because I'll just grab them and do it right then in the middle of wherever. And yes, when I pray, I often pray scripture, even authoritatively, but it's not because I am a prayer warrior. It's because if I don't do it then, I might not do it at all. And as for the praying of scripture, well, it's the only way I can be somewhat certain I'm praying correctly.

I do think about prayer a lot, and I'm hoping God gives partial credit on intending to pray, that thinking I should pray for the person maybe, sort of, kind of counts as an actual prayer. Maybe? But as I myself would define a prayer warrior, I do not qualify. I know those precious people, given to intercession, I have many of them on my speed dial for when crises arise. But me, I fall far from the calloused knees of the warriors of prayer.

Right now there are many for whom I think to pray, and I'm trying hard, dare I say asking God's help to actually remember to pray; a friend's ailing mother, a couple of coaches I don't think know the Lord, a friend facing relational challenges, there is an entire list. Today I even stuck a sticky note of names on my computer monitor at work to help me remember. I'm trying to use certain regular indicators in my day as reminders, for example a friend who dreads going to her job, I'm trying to use my own dread of dropping Ethan at school as a catalyst to pray for her.

So tonight as I sat watching Victoria in her gymnastics class, when the overwhelming burden to pray for each of these precious people came upon me, I knew it was not of self, it was a gift, from the Gift who is ever and faithfully working in my life and on my behalf to grow me into a woman of God... maybe even someday a warrior in prayer.

Thank you my true Love, for this gift You have given me today. Merry CHRISTmas.