Fear Not the Transforming Power of Christmas

Luke 1: 26 - 38 - 26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."
38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

When I was talking to God about what He wanted me to write for Christmas, I must admit I was kind of stumped. Then like he always does, he gave me a ton of things at once. So here it is...

I don't know about you, but lately (probably over the last 2 months) I've struggled with caring for my heart and really taking quality, meaningful, intimate time with the sweet Lover of my soul. It's not for a lack of "want to". It is that I let distractions and other things become more of a priority than spending time with him.

A friend of mine e-mailed me Christmas Letter blog from Mary Beth Chapman (Steven Curtis Chapman's wife). If you haven't read it yet it's a great read with challenging insight. (http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/marybeth/2008/12/mary-beths-christmas-letter-.html) She talks about how they are adjusting to the "new normal" with the loss of their 5-year-old daughter Maria Sue. She goes on to mention Mary, the mother of Jesus as only a mom who's lived through a significant loss could do.

I love that whenever an angel appears to someone in the Bible that the angel simply states, "Do not be afraid." Usually when the angel is on the scene, transformation in a person's life is about to occur.

At work I, along with our entire senior leadership, have required reading over the next month: Deep Change by Robert Quinn. My attitude wasn't the best about this assignment. I don't have time to read the stuff I want to read, much less the stuff I now have to read. So, reluctantly, I dove in and was pleasantly surprised. Now keep in mind this is a business book, read with my spiritual eyes and heart (like I view a movie with my spiritual eyes and heart). So, there are some things in this book that have challenged me.

The book talks about the difference between "incremental change" and "deep change". Incremental change is defined as change that can be reversed; it usually includes a process that is built on experience from the past and if the change fails, then you can always go back to the way things were before with little harm. Deep change however is irreversable and risky.

"Each of us has the potential to change the world. Because the price of change is so high, we seldome take on the challenge. Our fears blind us to the possibilities of excellence - and yet another formidable insight. This insight concerns the price of not making deep change. That price is the choice of slow death, a meaningless and frustrating experience enmeshed in fear, anger and helplessness, while moving surely toward what is most feared. "(pg. 11 - Deep Change)

Deep change is about facing our fears and wanting transformation more than comfort. Then I think about Mary and Joseph more than 2000 years ago. Mary's response, "I'll do whatever you like," is full of more trust than fear. She didn't have a plan, or a step-by-step process. She just had to trust God with her life, her circumstances, her heart, her future and her son. She let transformation happen. She trusted the only one who can truly make deep change happen and walk with us through our fears.

So, I'm looking at this Christmas a little bit differently. Yes, it will always be the time we celebrate the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ. But now I look forward to celebrating transformation and the power Jesus has to do that in me if I let him. Deep change is what I'm praying he delivers to me in 2009.

All the circumstances in my life have stripped me of the control I liked to believe I had. I have no idea how to be a mom of 2 boys; I have no idea what Scott's future job situation looks like; I have no idea how to adjust to the demands that face me at my job due to downsizing; I have no idea what to do with this blog or where it will lead. All are mysteries to me, but I know that God is in control and will provide me with the steps I need to take as I need to take them. I just have to be like Mary - live with more trust than fear.

Be bold - be brave - be you!

Merry Christmas! Happy Transformation!
Kim

Through Fear

Romans 8:15 - For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship and by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

First of all, sorry it's been a while since I've blogged. Life happens and I've unfortunately let too many things be distractions. But all is well.

I love this verse! It reminds me of so many things... what God has given us - a spirit of freedom (not to be a slave again to fear!) and a spirit of sonship. I'm realizing the more I dig into His word and what He says about fear that He constantly reminds us about who He is. Hmmm - that's the point!

I love it when our sweet Heavenly Father chooses to use children to show us more about his character and his plans. Here are some recent experiences that have wowed me lately.

I was picking Ian up from daycare one day. He had had one of those days. His teacher told me she had asked him to pick up the puzzles that he'd dumped out and put the car he was playing with away. I proceeded to urge him to do the same and he says to me with car in hand, "But, mommy, I don't know where the car goes." I told him to put it on the table next to his teacher so we could start picking up the puzzles. These weren't your normal puzzles - they were wooden and layered with several pictures on top of one another. I was having difficulty figuring them out, much less my nearly 4 year old son! Anyway, his excuse for not picking up the puzzles was that he didn't know how to put them together. We miraculously put the puzzles together and headed home for a great night.

On the way home, my sweet Heavenly Daddy whispered to me, "Not knowing what to do and doing nothing is not obedience. Do something." I reflected on my experience with Ian and saw the direct parallel. So often I let fear of making a mistake or making the wrong decision overpower me. Then I do nothing because I'm in the bondage of fear which ultimately results in disobedience. Now, I don't want to be foolish and just do anything because it's something, but I don't need to get stuck in a comfort zone of no action either.

Then, Sunday morning was Ian's first time singing in "big church". I missed it - was late getting to worship from my 9am ministry service. After all my tears of missing one of Ian's firsts, I got to hear all about it through my wonderful husband's eyes. Thank you, honey! As Scott shares the details of the experience, his eyes light up with pride and excitement. I asked Scott, "Did Ian see you?" Scott said yes and went on to tell me that Ian told his teacher near him while pointing at Scott, "There's my daddy!" Because we both serve the same Holy Spirit, He gently gave both of us this word, "That's how I feel when you give me the credit for working in, through and for you." Oh how God loves it when we say, "That's my daddy!"

So here is the challenge for us now:
Are you choosing (knowingly or unknowingly) to live in a spirit of fear, which results in no action (maybe even just a comfortable life), which equates to disobedience?

Ask God what living in the spirit of sonship looks like for you today? I think you'll be surprised how extravagantly he loves you and cherishes you. If you're not ask him to show you specifically and then be looking for ways (even in little things) he shows you.

How have you given God praise lately for who he is and what he's doing through and for you?

I'm so glad that God frequently reminds me of his sovereignty and power so I can remember who is in control - and thank you, Jesus, it's not me!

Sisters, be bold - be brave - be you!

Love & Prayers,
Kim