'Tis the Season

I love the holiday season.  It's great.  You eat, you see family, you eat, and you get to witness the absurd.  At what other time of year can you read about the trampling of a Wal*Mart employee? Or fist fights over Barbies?  Truly absurd.  Aren't we civilized?

As Christians we live in a constant dichotomy between the birth of Christ and American consumerism.  It is difficult to find a balance, and we oftentimes seem to stray too far to one side or another.  I saw something today that reminded me of the challenge.

I drove by a church that had a huge sign out front encouraging folks to, "Keep Christ in Christmas."  Not a bad thought.  Right next to this sign was another encouraging folks to attend their annual Christmas Party/Festival;  where they could get a photo with Santa.  

'Tis the season!

Just a Thought...

I was reading today and stumbled across this quote...

"The greatest proof of Christianity for others is not how far a man can logically analyze his reasons for believing, but how far in practice he will stake his life on his belief." - T.S. Eliot as quoted in "The Forgotten Ways" by Alan Hirsch

How far are we willing to go?  To trust?  To risk?  What are our lives saying about our belief?

Me? Scared?

I don't know if I'm jittery because of the coffee I just drank or because of the allergy meds I took this morning.  Could be both, or it could be neither.  Or, just maybe, it could be because in less then 36 hours I'll be responsible for carting myself and 8 additional team members to the Bay Islands region of Honduras.  I mean, what's a couple thousand miles amongst friends?  Well, we're friends now; I'm a bit anxious to see what a week in a foreign country will do for those bonds, haha.  Besides, in a group of 5 teens, 2 twenty-somethings, and 2 "older" adults, what could possibly go wrong?

There's a certain element of "what the heck have I gotten myself into" permeating the air.  Do I feel in over my head?  Most certainly.  I've already had most of the pre-trip nightmares.  I woke from a cold sweat the other night thinking I had forgotten everyones passports.  Whoops!

In spite of the small moments of panic (and utter terror), I do sense and know that God has this trip in His hands.  It's just that the closer I get to the time of departure, the less I feel that comfort!  And I suppose that's only human.  Welcome to the chasm between knowing in ones head and also knowing in ones heart!  

This may sound cliche (and it probably is), but I think this is where faith comes into play.  Y'know, the whole sure of what we hope for and certain of what cannot yet be seen thing.  I know what I'm hoping for and I know what I'd like to see.  And I believe God can do all of these things.  I'm just having a hard time knowing that He will (and that there won't be any tragic accidents along the way).

So, off we go into the great unknown.  It's bound to be a wonderful adventure, and, regardless of what happens, I know we will all come back changed.  Perhaps that is really the most important thing anyway. To be anxious is human, to be hopeful is divine!

Until next time...