30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Day 29
Are you feeling pressured to dive into Christmas preparations? Place an empty manger in a prominent place and pray before it. Thank God for sending Jesus to us.
“Pressured” to start celebrating Christmas? Please! I loooooove Christmas so much and it’s a test of my patience to make it until the day after Thanksgiving each year before I go all gung-ho X-mas. And this year, since we had no Thanksgiving plans, I got a bonus day and we decorated on Thanksgiving rather than waiting.
So “pressured” isn’t something I can identify with. …And I’m kind of sad for anyone who doesn’t love getting things decorated in preparation for Christmas! (I wouldn’t believe these kinds of people exist but I married one of them, so I guess they do.)
The second part of the challenge was a challenge for a different reason then usual — I own a Wendell August metal Nativity and so the baby Jesus is in the manger (and waiting patiently in the box until Christmas). Luckily I also own a fabric Nativity but hadn’t set it up yet, but luckily the manger is a dual-sided hay/Jesus combination so that I can do this challenge.
[BRB… Several minutes later…]
Well, I was so focused on getting a picture of this setup that I failed to pray. (D’oh!) But then I “made up for it” by praying “Thank you God for sending Jesus to us.” over and over —and it’s amazing how after even just the third time you pray it that the thanks really starts to dig down deep into your bones.
Thank you God for sending Jesus to us. Thank you God for sending Jesus to us. Thank you God for sending Jesus to us. Thank you God for sending Jesus to us. Thank you God for sending Jesus to us. Thank you God for sending Jesus to us. Thank you God for sending Jesus to us. Amen.
Give God Your Yes 