We Can’t All Be A Magi, But The Gift Sometimes is So Worthy!

Welcome To Trace’s Space.  Oh boy, funny how memories flood our thoughts during the holiday season.
In the car today my husband asked me what it is I would like for Christmas.  I hadn’t given much thought this year of anything that I’d really like, or need...I have been focused on what I would be gifting everyone else, and I responded that I’m really good at giving, not so much with receiving. He thought that was funny, had a dialog with me about if he gave me gifts without thought I would be mad...in a way he was right.  When I receive a gift, the monitary value means nothing, what matters to me is that a lot of thought was put into it, and the gift has meaning between me and the person who gave it to me.  Does this make sense?  My gifting is intentional, thoughtful, and well I would hope everyone else is wired that way too, yeah, ok, I’m a realist, but a girl can dream, right?
So a little later I got to thinking, and I went back in time and remembered a time that was tough, and actually ugly, and it involved gifts, and my ungreatfulness.
At work we use to do Secret Santa.  What happened was we would draw names, and for the five days before Christmas break we would leave a little token as a clue so that the person who was being gifted might be able to figure out who their Santa was.
So it began.  I started to receive gifts... really strange gifts.  Nothing that really had much to do with anything... like travel supplies, a loofa, a mirror, a back scratcher, story short, weird...I actually thought my Santa was playing tricks to throw me off and that my gift on the last day was going to be AMAZING! Boy was I wrong! It was awful, not really, but the thought that counts went straight to you know where and I sobbed! I thought my goodness this person hates me, and didn’t want to play once they got my name, blah, blah, blah! Poor me! Then BOOM!
God slammed me with reality.  He spoke! Trace go thank her! I was like nope ain’t going to do it.  I will not thank this person for this bunch of stupid stuff, He again spoke, go thank her.  So I attempted to put on my big girl pants and think of words that wouldn’t be a blatant lie, so I could do as I was being told, my blood was boiling, but the reality, my heart was hurt, she was not worthy of my thankfulness, but....
I gathered my thoughts, put on my happy face and proceeded to go and tend to my fake thankfulness.
So I only had to walk up about twenty steps and by the time I got to the top of the stairs I was aware that there was something to these unwanted gifts, and that God was trying to show my hard heart something.  As I opened the door and looked at her face I realized that her gifts had nothing to do with me, but everything to do with her struggles. So I said, hey thanks for being my Santa, I am thankful for my gifts. This woman got the biggest smile on her face, and then I received the gift I had been waiting for, I gave her validation, and made her happy! She was really clueless on how this game was to be played.  It was a tough season for her as well, she needed encouraged and hugged and loved on, and isn’t that what it really is all about? My gift, her moment of joy!
We can’t all be a Magi in the sense of giving physically appealing or monetary gifts, but what we can do is accept all gifts no matter how humble as if they are worthy.  The Shepherds brought nothing but themselves to the stable (read that sentence twice)...they had no fancy gifts, they actually had no idea they’d be visiting a newborn King, yet their presence was enough.
So as we reach the anticipated day of giving and receiving  gifts in Celebration of His birth, let’s not get so caught up in the what it is or what it’s worth, and focus more so on the why...

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ NKJV)

Have a Merry Christmas! See you next time.

Silent Night

Welcome to Trace’s Space.  I imagine the scene was quite chaotic yet very holy.  That night in the stable where Jesus was born.  Joseph and Mary in a very humble situation, Mary giving birth to the One who came to save a lost and chaotic world.  No doctors, no meds to make her comfortable, not even a clean blanket to wrap the new born baby in, but in the midst of the chaos, somehow it manifested into calm, holy.
Mary I am sure gazed into the eyes of her baby boy and looked beyond the promise of a Messiah and saw pure love and trust.  Can you even imagine what joy she felt holding her baby.  He is ours, but He was hers, to nurse, to comfort, to teach to speak, walk, potty train, all the things we do as mothers, as parents... yet he is God.
Silent Night.
Fast forward a couple of thousand years. We have entered into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  While we shop and prepare to celebrate His birth, our world seems to be more chaotic than ever, and Christmas seems less holy than ever, yet in the midst of that chaos, calm is manifesting, and holy moments are happening, we just have to open our eyes and ears and receive them.
I really believe that this particular Christmas season is a time that God is calling on His people to not just rejoice in His coming, but to reflect, to remember, to embrace the chaos and find peace in it.
It’s been a tough season for most of us.  The trials of the day, you know, illness, financial woes, work issues, family troubles, the list could go on and on... an unhappy king! Seems familiar, huh?
We all are struggling, but we need to seek Him in our trouble and find the calm in the chaos.
Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem for the census in order for the government to tax them.  They weren’t there because they wanted to be.  But yet it was right where God wanted them to be! (That’s a word for someone)
Finding peace in chaos.
Silent Night.
The song moves me.  I again think of Mary holding her baby, and the reaction of every person who made contact with Jesus...Even the heavens were aware of His birth.  All was calm, All was bright.  Heavenly Hosts sang, Shepherds quaked (trembled) in His presence. Yet He was tender and mild (calm).

Silent Night, Holy Night.

All is calm, All is bright

Round yon Virgin, mother and child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in a Heavenly Peace

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

So this Christmas I pray that we find peace in the chaos, and Rest in His Mercy!
Merry Christmas.
See you next time.