“But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20 CSB
Joseph had just found out his fiancee, sweet Mary, was pregnant. He wasn’t pleased. He was planning on divorcing her until the angel appeared to him. God reframed his thoughts. At this time of year, we need God to reframe our thoughts as well.
One of my favorite churches, James City Community Church, does dramas to illustrate their sermon points. One drama had several members on stage; they were juggling plates on sticks. They started adding more and more plates to the mix until they were unable to juggle any more plates. All of a sudden, plates started crashing to the floor because they couldn’t maintain it. We all juggle too many plates this time of year. We have so many plates in the air, we can’t manage them all. Eventually they will start to fall, crashing around us. But not if we allow God to reframe our thoughts this year.
If we are going to show reverence for the reason for the season, we need to reframe our thoughts. We need to remind ourselves, it really isn’t about Christmas trees, presents and cookies. No, this time of year is about a birthday, Jesus’s birthday. Christmas cookies don’t have to be baked, each present doesn’t need to be perfect, decorations can go unhung. But if we don’t take time to remember Jesus, we’ve missed the whole point of the season.
My brother’s mother-in-law reframed my thoughts on this years ago. She was here spending Christmas with the family. Each year they have a birthday party on Christmas. They buy a birthday cake that says, “Happy Birthday Jesus!” They light candles, and they sing Happy Birthday. My family had never done anything like this before, I thought it was a brilliant way to remember the reason for the season.
Yesterday, we took a moment and found solitude. Let’s build on that today. In your moment of solitude, as you settle into the quiet. Ask God to reframe your thoughts about the holiday ahead. Allow your thoughts to start focusing on Jesus’s birthday. Think about what you would do to celebrate your best friend’s birthday. How can you celebrate Jesus’s birthday in a special way this year?
I’m going to find rest today by reframing my thoughts. How can you find rest today?
