Go to where love lives.
This was God’s message to me earlier today . . . to go out into the world and find where love lives, where love is. Where the sights and sounds of Christmas are still burning their witness—those homes and those folks who aren’t afraid to deck the halls, display a crèche, and throw in a few lights for good measure.
Go to where love lives, Elaine, and remember that Christmas is alive and well and thriving within arm’s reach of your front door.
This is becoming increasingly difficult to manage, the finding of Christmas love. Why? I think it is because there’s too much anger in the world, too much busyness, too much consumption. The ABC’s of discontent.
Angry about . . .
Busy with . . .
Consumed by . . .
Living there (with anger, busyness, and consumption), it’s easy to overlook the love. Love rarely blossoms within the soil of dissatisfaction. Instead, love often suffocates because of it. Rather than feeling the love, we suffer the sting of having missed it, wondering where it all went wrong and how we’ve arrived at this season of painful reduction. What if, instead of our anger, busyness, and consumption, we adopted an alternate approach to finding love–the ABC’s of consecrated pilgrimage rather than the ABC’s of discontent?
Approach the manger.
Behold the Child.
Consider the Gift.
Approaching, beholding, and considering Jesus. He is where love lives. Find him, and you’ll find Christmas peace.
Go to where love lives. If things are getting a little crowded in your interior—if you’re depending solely on your ability to keep the Christmas spirit alive only to realize your terrible insufficiency at doing so—why not step outside your confinement and search for the sights and sounds of Bethlehem around you. In your neighborhood. Around the table. At an altar. In the faces of family, friends, and strangers who cross your path. When you can’t find the love on your own, choose population over isolation. Don’t allow the enemy to fuel your search or to fool you into believing that Christmas cannot be found . . . that Christmas is dead.
Christmas is not dead; Christmas is alive and burning brightly in the hearts and homes of those who’ve not yet caved in to desperation or bowed low to discontent. Go, find those pilgrims, and allow their witness to be the guiding light that leads you toward renewed hope and strengthened perspective.
Go to where love lives. And then, from that filling, courageously and willingly live love before others so that they might find their way home to Jesus. Light a candle for the King and his kingdom. Together, we decorate this earth with our faith.
Prepare, ye, the way of the Lord! I’ll meet you on the road. As always . . .
Peace for the journey,
Merry Christmas to you and your family! I always enjoy and appreciate your words and the challenges your faith brings to my faith. I’m grateful our paths crossed and extremely grateful for God’s Faithfulness in all our seasons. Love you!
I’m grateful for you too, Debbie, and I hope you’re experiencing the peace of Christ as you travel the Bethlehem road.
Your timing could not be better, I needed to read this post. It’s a great reminder for me that this season is about so much more than what I try to make it. I plan on stepping out of my comfort zone and searching for “the sights and sounds of Bethlehem.”
Peace to YOU, sweet friend. Love you…
“Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum” . . . hear it calling you, friend? Love you dearly.
Love your ABCs — approach, behold, consider. If we do that, we will indeed find that Christmas is alive and burning brightly. An when things get too crowded, time spent at the manger can make all the difference. Have a blessed season, Elaine!
Wow, so aweaome, and true. I love this, and I love you.
I very much needed this message today. I hope to put the new ABC’s into practice. Thank you
Me too, Karin! I want to walk rightly and intentionally to Jesus today. One step at a time, sister. Thanks for being here.
wifeforthejourney:
Where else can we go but to the Lord? My our faith and trust be completely in Him; I know I need to run to the Lord and stay near Him today.
Love you,
Billy
There is a lot of quietness in my heart these days when I think of my baby girl and I can’t help but think it might be similar to the quietness felt in Mary’s heart when she birthed the Lord Jesus and realized the difficult road He would undoubtedly walk. Even though losing my sweet Evie is incredibly painful, I am thankful to the Lord for giving me these small glimpses of His life that I may not otherwise know. And I think this Christmas season is the perfect time to reflect on those parallel feelings, maybe allowing me to experience those ABCs of contentment in a more intimate way than ever before.
Nothing prepares the heart adequately to hold grief. It simply and profoundly must be walked-thru, one step at a time. I think the manger a perfect place to, like Mary, ponder and consider the weighty issues of our hearts. Blessings, sister.
Such a good reminder about the choices given us. We can meander through a maze of “Bah! Humbugs!”, or intentionally go forth in the joy of the Lord AND the season.
Love never fails. How good it is to be reminded.
Such a fantastic post, I love your ABC’S, given me much to consider, I plan on putting them into practice starting today.
A big AMEN to this Elaine! Back to the simple – the ABC’s… I so relate to this post.
Blessings! I’d love to win!
Oh, yes…that is the destination point for every heart that is searching…where love lives…
Beautiful words, Elaine…
My beautiful friend, I always know I will find love living here. Needing this today. Feeling so heartbroken by the events in Connecticut. Seized by the mama fear and grief for the hurting. These words minister to me right here where I am. And I thank you, Faith Elaine. Sending so much love to you.
Wrapped in pain over yesterday’s massacre in Connecticut, I had to choose to get out of bed today and go to where love lives. Today was Cookies and Cocoa with Santa at our church. In the past couple of years, the turn-out’s been slim, but today, our fellowship hall was full. I think, perhaps, many of us are seeking to find the love today. Go there, friend, and find love . . . and peace.
I love this Elaine. It really begins there doesn’t it, at that manger. Looking ahead to the cross and beyond. The scope of His love is limitless…Blessings and peace to you this Season! Lori