Post Christmas Let-Down

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of they salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Psalm 51: 10-12).

For weeks we've been planning for Christmas. We hung lights, decked the tree with colorful ornaments, baked cookies, shopped, wrapped gifts, attended parties and excitedly awaited Christmas. The joy of sitting next to family and friends in church on Christmas Eve and singing Christmas hymns reminded us of the miracle that took place over 2000 years ago when our Savior was born.

Now, a week later, we begin cleaning up and putting away. The trash bins are stuffed with wrapping paper, boxes and ribbons. The needles on the tree are dry and dropping and soon, it will be taken down as well. School will resume again shortly, or we'll return to work and life will go back to normal. It is hard not to experience a sense of let-down after the hustle and bustle of Christmas. What now? For some of us, winter will continue its cold presence for another 4 months. What happened to all the joy and laughter that came with the Christmas season? Why can't the thrill and excitement just continue?

How do we retain the joy that we felt at Christmas when the mundane takes over once again? We can fix our eyes on Jesus by making time for Him. It will require discipline to find quiet time to read Scripture and reflect on what we read. Furthermore, we connect with our Savior when we interact with Him in prayer.

As you go about your daily tasks, think about what you are thankful for, and ask God to restore your joy.  Remember that He, through His sacrifice on the cross, created a clean heart in you and me. Jesus will renew a right Spirit in us if we submit our lives to Him. He won't cast us away but will intimately relate with us if we seek His presence. Christ can restore our joy with His Spirit:
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 
Cast me not away from your presence
And take not your holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Psalm 51: 10-12)

As we enter the new year, I remind you and me to make a habit of spending time with God so that we experience joy in His presence.

Dear God,
I have so much to be thankful for. You died that I might be blameless in Your sight. Help me to make time for You in the new year. Open my heart to learn from Your Word and renew my focus on Your promises so that I find joy in Your presence. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Angry with God

Have you ever been angry with God? Did you feel that He had let you down? Maybe you even questioned whether He cared for you at all. You may have theorized God was too busy handling more significant matters that pressed Him and didn't have time to answer your prayer.

When trying to trudge through the adoption entanglement, I didn't understand why God wouldn't just take over and amend the confusing situation. My mind contemplated all that God could do in His omniscience. He could bring my daughter out of Vietnam. He could give her a home rather than leave her in an orphanage under the auspices of Immigration police who were after bribes, not the welfare of my child. If, as we are taught, God is all powerful, why would He not bring a child into a loving home rather than allow corruption to keep her from knowing our love?  I knew of other parents who were experiencing similar dilemmas. They wanted desperately to love a child, yet for some reason, the child was trapped by bureaucratic regulations that confined rather than served the interests of loving parents and hurting children. 

I now experience a comparable frustration as I watch one of my children suffer. Gabriel, 17, was an elite soccer player who was injured last fall during a game. The orthopedist convinced my son that an ACL repair would enable him to play soccer again this fall. Yet, the repair did not go well, and my son doesn't understand why God didn't heal him when it is in His power to do so. I, as Gabe's mother, am angry with God. You, O God, are capable of performing a miracle and healing my son. Why don't you do so?

I wonder what Christ felt as He hung on the cross and endured excruciating pain while His Father allowed Him to experience this horrible suffering. Christ, in fact, was honest with His Father: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?," Jesus said (Mt 27:46). Christ was uttering a psalm of David in which David also cried to God, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?" (Psalm 22:1).

Jeremiah was also frank with God when he expressed his anger, "O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughing stock all the day; everyone mocks me" (Jeremiah 20:7).

In another psalm, David expresses the insight he had gained through a painful experience: "Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me." God may not heal us in the way we had expected. He may not heal Gabriel so that he can play soccer again. He also may not handle your circumstances in the way you wish, but He can heal you, nevertheless. He can use your situation for His glory and to bring you closer in relationship to Him.

Dear God, Help me in my anger to come to You and open my heart to You. I pray that You will heal my hurt and take away my anger. In Jesus' Name, Amen.