Category: Hearts

He’s good for it

I hope you’ve had a good week. As I write this I have two children and a husband all sick in bed. So it’s one of those cosy-up-and-cancel-everything sort of days.

Speaking of being ill, I don’t know if I told you that last year I travelled to the USA and ended up in hospital on the first day. The long haul flight with a layover in Chicago was too much for my weak body to cope with. I spent 2 to 3 hours in A&E and ended up with bills of around $3000.

Of course, we had travel insurance! So all’s fine, yes?

No.

We spent the next five months trying to wrangle the travel insurance company into reimbursing us for the costs. It was very time consuming! And frustrating, and difficult, and quite sad.

Why so difficult? Here’s the reason: The travel insurance company did not want to give us any money.

I know, it’s shocking isn’t it? Surely that’s their job? Isn’t that why we get insurance? These are questions my children innocently ask. But the truth is, it seems that although they’ve ‘promised’ to cover your medical bills, they don’t actually want to do it. It was with reluctance that they eventually paid us what they owed.

But I’m not really here to complain about that! Nor will I tell you which insurance company it was. What I will say is that sometimes I act like God is that reluctant insurance company. He’s made promises, sure, but he doesn’t want to have to fulfil them. He’s hoping I’ll never need him to. But sadly I need him to bail me out again, and again, and again.

Need forgiveness? Again?
Need strength for today? Again?
Need courage? Again?

Of course, Hallelujah! God is not like an insurance company. Zechariah told us so, while the Saviour was in Mary’s womb:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. Luke 1:68-75

(I’ve quoted Luke 1 in the ESV, not primarily because it’s Extremely Sound but because this is the version we have memorised thanks to Randall Goodgame at Slugs and Bugs. Memorising Scripture is one of the best things to do in the world and scripture songs make it easy. Thank you, Lord! Amen.)

In verses 70 and 72-3 Zechariah celebrates with JOY the fact that God is keeping his promises. “As he spoke…” “to remember his holy covenant…” “The oath he swore…”

Christmas is about God keeping his promise to save his people. All through Scripture, he’s been promising to do it. And now he’s done it, in a better and more beautiful way than anyone would have asked or imagined.

He doesn’t do things reluctantly. He loves to keep his promises to his people.

So now we can serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness. We get to do that! Only because he’s saved us.

You can hold God to his promises today. He’s ready and willing!

Last year around Christmas time we were able to celebrate the insurance company finally giving in and giving us $3000. But every Christmas we have something SO MUCH better to celebrate!

So let’s get on with it!

A Life More Ordinary

How’s your November going? This to me is sitcom season. Not a month for watching sitcoms – no time for that! – but rather feeling like I’m starring in one.

You know what I’m talking about. It’s the time of year when at least one of your children seems to need a different item of clothing or a different donation to something or other every couple of days.

I have reminders in my phone and calendar alerts and notes on the fridge to help us all remember who’s supposed to have odd socks on Monday as well as their swimming kit, whose Christmas jumper day is Thursday and whose is Friday, which Christmas fair I’ve signed up for and which gift for the fair I’m supposed to bring in this Friday and is it own clothes day? Or PJs for Children in Need? Or is it a school trip? And whose Christmas performance clashes with somebody’s carol service.

You know. I know you know. My poor husband looks at his phone, bewildered, as more coded messages appear in his digital calendar. (I prefer a paper diary, but needs must. Survival is key and the digital calendar is what enables us to keep our heads above water.)
“What does MUN stand for?”
“Does the bottle tombola have anything to do with me?”
“Why does Thursday AM say ‘socks for prisoners’?”

Anyway, as you can see I’ve had a lot on my mind. I might even describe myself as frazzled. But still, on Sunday morning when someone asks what I did this week, I won’t have a decent answer. I feel like “washing and ironing” or “family logistics” don’t really encapsulate it. Most of it will all be forgotten in a few weeks’ time.

My children probably won’t remember much of this stuff when they’re older. And that’s OK. Life doesn’t have to be remarkable. Most of life is mundane. These things, so hard to keep on top of and remember, are not ground-breaking. Nobody is really going to make a sitcom of my life. It’s just not that interesting.

And do you know what? That’s fine! Most people’s lives are mundane most of the time. But God is faithful. He honours daily faithfulness. He doesn’t need me to break any records or leave a legacy. He just wants me to be faithful, one day at a time.

As you look back over the year, if “all” you’ve done is persevere, then that is wonderful. In a world of influencers and record-breakers, God doesn’t need us to be extraordinary. He’s the extraordinary one.

Look at Ruth, for example. Her life, whilst tragic, was not exactly full of adventure. As a widow, she moved to another country. I suppose that was adventurous. But then she was busy surviving – working in the fields to gather food for herself and her mother-in-law. Ordinary, daily faithfulness. And yet she ended up being in Jesus’ family tree, and being the subject of a whole book of the Bible.

God meets people in the mundane. A world of social media can make us believe that life is supposed to be spectacular all the time, or you’re doing it wrong.

But God has been with me as I’ve done the same school run over three thousand times, and he’ll be with me forever.

Our Christmas can be ordinary. It should be a joyful feast, yes! But it can be unassuming and humble, too. We can offer our celebrations to God, with gratitude in our hearts, and know that He can do whatever he wants with us.

Maybe you will change the world. But most of us won’t. When you look at the Christmas story, it’s full of ordinary people who are overjoyed at the birth of Jesus. Let’s be like them. Plus of course, you never know what God might do with you.

‘The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.’ Ruth 4.17.

Upside-Down Christmas

Introducing ‘With Heart and Soul and Voice’ by Tim Chester

I know it’s still November, but as the Christmas adverts begin emerging and we see more and more portraits of Christmas on social media – with tips or recipes or wrapping advice or just shameless plugs – I wonder if you feel inspired, or burdened, or envious, or excited?

I hope you’re feeling excited and full of anticipation. But sometimes it’s tempting to feel a little inadequate. Maybe your home doesn’t look like the ones that are so inviting and cosy and joy-filled in the Christmas movies. (Mine doesn’t look like the one pictured above, if anyone is wondering.) Or maybe you can’t afford the gifts your children would really like. Perhaps your children really struggle with their emotions over the Christmas period. Maybe someone in the family is sick this year and you’re not really feeling the joy.

Well as ever, the Lord Jesus has good news for us. In fact, He is the good news. Which means Christmas, too, is good news for us!

I mentioned last week that I enjoy reading an advent devotional each year. This year I’m enjoying Tim Chester’s ‘With Heart and Soul and Voice.’ You can get it here. Here is an encouragement for those of us who are feeling a bit ‘unimpressive’ this November. (Sorry if this idea offends. Maybe I’m the only one who feels unimpressive!)

Mary said “[God my Saviour] has brought rulers down from their thrones/ But has lifted up the humble.”

‘Your church may not look very impressive – but that’s the point! God has chosen the weak and lowly to shame the wise and powerful (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)…
And it can begin in your home. Just as the meals of Jesus were a sign of his upside-down kingdom, so our meals should display the same upside-down grace. Your Christmas can be a little sign of Christ’s coming kingdom as you welcome the lonely and provide for the needy.’ Tim Chester, With Heart and Soul and Voice, p. 33.

In the economy of the Kingdom of God, he can take our meagre, weak-looking efforts and do something with them that lasts into eternity. If we serve our families and others with humility, offering it all up to Christ, he will be honoured. We need to see this with eyes of faith.

How wonderfully refreshing it is to know that the coming of Christ was the start of this new topsy-turvy Kingdom, where the poor and the simple are honoured and made wise. As we go into advent trying to serve others and honour the Lord, he can do more with our work than we can possibly ask or imagine. No wonder Mary sang!

More about the book:

The book goes through four songs found in the Bible and also quotes the traditional hymns inspired by them. They are as follows – I’ve included links to my favourite Christmas songs based on these Bible passages:

Mary’s Song (The Magnificat)
Zechariah’s Song (The Benedictus)
The Angels’ Song (The Gloria)
Simeon’s Song (The Nunc Dimittis) – I don’t have a fun version of this to share with you, but my daughter did sing the Nunc Dimittis earlier this year with her choir at St Paul’s Cathedral in London at Evensong. Up until then I’d never heard of it and I still think Nunc is kind of a funny word. But at least now I (and you) can nod knowingly if anyone brings it up over Christmas! (You never know.)

Here’s the link for the book again. Have a blessed day!

It’s worth doing badly

I don’t know how you are with housework. I’m not very good at it. My gifts lie elsewhere. (Don’t worry, I still do it.)

One issue I have is that I’m (internally) a bit of a perfectionist. This is a paradox. I feel like if I’m going to clean, it needs to be done properly. It needs to be done well. And frankly I don’t have time for that right now. So I don’t do it.

It’s not just me. I’ve definitely read that this is an issue for other people (maybe Dana White for one?). Some people live in mountains of clutter because they feel like 10 mins of decluttering just won’t be enough. So they never do any.

If I’m going to clean my bathroom, I can’t just wipe around everything with an antibacterial wipe. No. I need to empty the room, sweep and mop, get the Cif out and give everything a scrub. So if I don’t have time for that, it can go weeks without any TLC. Whereas, rationally speaking, an antibacterial wipe down would be better than nothing.

This is why I believe that, very often, if a job’s worth doing then it’s worth doing badly. That’s if for some reason you can’t do it well. Maybe you’ve just had a baby, or you’re unwell, or it’s June and things are getting crazy. (If you’re in the USA, I think May is your equivalent of our June/July mayhem. Sadly Junehem isn’t a word.)

But I’m not here to tell you how to clean. We’ve got more important things to discuss.

Sometimes that same feeling of perfectionism stops us from reading our Bible or praying. It’s not just perfectionism, but there’s also a voice whispering to us that anything less than perfect will not be enough.

You can’t pray on your walk back from the school drop-off. That’s not good enough. You’ll be distracted.
You can’t read the Bible for three minutes on your phone will you’re waiting for the bath to fill up. You need to devote much longer to it, and do it in a peaceful, calm space.
You can’t just listen to a sermon while you’re ironing. You have to focus.

These thoughts that come to us, that stop us from praying, reading or listening, are not from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the accuser. That’s what Satan’s name means. He’s the one who accuses. And he really does not want us to read our Bibles.

Speaking to and hearing from our God is the best thing we can do today. And if we can’t do it well, we should do it badly. Ideally we would do it well, but for now we could at least just do something. If my Bible time today is the equivalent of an antibac wipe around the basin, it’s better than the nothing I might have done yesterday. And (like the wipe) it will do enough good so that my family will benefit from it.

So when things are getting a little hot under the collar this month, let’s defy Satan and lock ourselves in the toilet and pray.

I’m grateful to Paul and Penny Dawson for their wise counsel, which led me to write this post.

Seven Myths about Hospitality

Can you remember a time when you were on the receiving end of some generous hospitality? I bet you can. Hospitality can cover a range of things, and I believe that Christian hospitality is about showing the welcome to others that the Lord has shown us. Put another way, we move towards people, because our God has moved towards us. Often those receiving a warm welcome will remember it fondly, long after the person offering it has forgotten all about it.

Is your Sunday church gathering welcoming? I hope so. That’s a form of hospitality. But if we look in the Bible, I think it’s clear that we’re expected to open our homes to people and share with them, as a way of showing them love. There are some people who cannot do this – but not many. So assuming you are like most people, I want to encourage you by sharing seven myths I think we often wrongly believe about hospitality.

When I searched ‘Hospitality’ on Biblegateway, it came up with seven times the word is used in the New Testament. Coincidence? (Yep.) So I’ve interspersed my ‘myths’ with quotes about hospitality, so you can see for yourself. (NB: Myths and quotes not necessarily especially related!)

Note that a couple of people are commended in God’s word for their hospitality. What an honour! God must think it’s worth mentioning.

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

  1. You have to be good at baking
    I think I used to believe this, but it is frankly ridiculous. There’s nothing in God’s word about having to be good at cooking or baking. People in the Bible did work hard at it, as far as I can tell. However, they didn’t have the mod cons we’ve got. As my mam says, ‘Grandma used to say that homemade is always best, but she didn’t shop at M&S.’

    Having said that, I do think that the more love and time we invest in getting good at making something to bless people with, the more we’ll enjoy sharing it with those people. There is something special about eating something that someone has lovingly prepared with their own hands, even if it’s chocolate crispy cakes. (I’ve decided they’re one of my all-time favourite cakes, by the way. Give me an easter nest over a swanky French macaron any day of the year.)

But if you hate baking, don’t have the equipment, or don’t have time, then shop-bought with joy is still an absolute delight.

2. You have to entertain
As far as I can tell, entertaining is a performance. I’m showing my guests what I can do. That means that if they perform well for me when I go to their home, I’m obliged to perform just as well – or hopefully better! – when they visit me.

This is a lot of pressure. It’s also quite self-serving, when you really stop to think about it. If my aim is to impress my guests, and even make them feel inferior, then I’m not loving them. When we’re inviting people into our home, we’re not putting on a show: we’re inviting them to join in with something beautiful, which is a household living by God’s grace. “Come and see,” we’re saying to them. “The Lord is good.”

Even if you’re ‘entertained’ by someone else, why not try inviting them over and just serving them selflessly? If your home is small and scruffy compared to theirs, it’s an opportunity to boast in Christ. He’s all we need in our homes to have a good time.

No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. 1 Timothy 5:9-10

3. You have to have money and space
Hospitality does cost money, there’s no denying it. But God knows our means. He can use what I offer up in hospitality and bless people with it. Inviting someone in for a hot drink is probably something we can all afford to do. You could even ask them to bring the biscuits! (Shop-bought is fine.)

Let’s remember that the early church were poor. If God can enable them to be hospitable then he can certainly do it for us. We can pray and ask God to multiply our food so we have enough. We can put others first and see how the Lord provides everything we need.

Don’t underestimate the power of simple, humble hospitality offered in faith.

I’ve written before about how blessed I’ve been when people with very little space have invited me into their home. Not to put down anyone with lots of space, but when someone in a tiny one bedroom flat invites my entire family over for dinner, it’s the kind of humble, Christ-like selflessness that sticks with me.

We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. 3 John 1:8

4. It’s a cultural thing
Some cultures are more hospitable than others. I recently visited a country which is known for its hospitality. I’m also northern, where people tend to pop round for a cup of tea without warning. But now I live in London, which is known for being inhospitable and where you have to book cups of coffee weeks in advance. So yes, hospitality is a cultural thing.

But the Kingdom of God is a hospitable culture. Our King welcomes anyone! So if we live in a community – like London – that’s not hospitable, it’s really easy for us to shine like stars by opening our homes to others. And if you’re not from a background that values hospitality, then you can rejoice! The Holy Spirit has made you new. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our family and friends noticed how much more welcoming we’re becoming, year after year?

[Publius] welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. Acts 28.7

5. You have to be an extrovert
It’s great that people nowadays are often aware of how they’re energised, whether it’s by being alone or being with others. But God doesn’t command just the extroverts to practise hospitality. And he also knows us and what we need.

We all need to be around people, whether we find it draining or not. And remember that being hospitable doesn’t mean you have to be the life and soul of the party. You can go and wash the dishes while everyone else chats, if that’s what you need to do.

I’m not trying to burden anyone, but just as extroverts need time alone, praying and reading God’s word, so introverts need to spend time with other people, loving and serving them. And the Lord is so kind – he thwarts our plans when they would do us harm! (He’s cancelled many of my plans which in hindsight would’ve tipped me over the edge!)

Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Romans 16:23

6. It’s just not for me.
Some people will find hospitality comes naturally to them and others won’t. Some people find prayer easier than others. Some people are naturally joyful and positive; others aren’t. But we’re all called to joy, prayer and hospitality. I do know some people who actually can’t invite people over for different reasons. But there are other ways to be hospitable, and I’ve seen these people find creative ways to show hospitality. You can invite people out for coffee or food. You can organise a social. You can invite yourself over to someone’s house and offer to cook. These are all ways to move towards people with love.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:12-13

7. It’s not important
Satan hates hospitality. If you don’t believe me, invite some people over. See how many ways you’re tempted to sin against your guests, your family, and anyone else who you come across. Or see how the thing you’ve cooked thirty-seven times before collapses or gets dropped. Or notice how plans have to be cancelled and rearranged over and over.

God’s word says, “How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133.1
I’m convinced that hospitality is one way that unity is nurtured and maintained. Remember that the early church”devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2.42. 
As we eat and drink with people, we’re either sharing fellowship or inviting people into the fellowship they could have in Christ. We’re imitating our generous God to those who know him or those who don’t. Satan hates this and the Lord loves it. Don’t underestimate it.

So if you consider yourself a pretty hospitable person or if you’ve never tried it – please be encouraged. Put on the armour of God and go out there and take the next step.

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9

Further reading: ‘Extraordinary Hospitality (For Ordinary People)‘ – read my thoughts on it here. Also ‘The Ministry of a Messy House’ by Amanda Robbie is a classic I keep coming back to.

Notes from a Desert Country

“His work has changed our lives.”
“His message could change the world”

I recently visited a Muslim country for the first time in my life. It’s interesting to think through how to live as a Christian in a society where everyone around you is (or seems to be) worshipping the same god.

We were reminded continuously, every day, that we were different – and that the gospel of Jesus Christ is so much better. I don’t mean this in an arrogant way – it’s God’s gospel, not mine. But having the free gift of forgiveness, paid for by a perfect Saviour, is so wonderfully sweet: especially compared to having to earn it, and never being assured that you’ve done enough.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.

Coming back to the UK, things aren’t so ‘black and white.’ People around us don’t all worship the same god. But friends, they are surely worshipping something. They can’t help it – none of us can. Everyone worships something or someone.

“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is for ever praised. Amen.” Romans 1:25

On Easter Monday I took my children to see ‘The King of Kings.’ Have you seen it? It’s a (very successful) animated movie about the life of Jesus. It was surreal to be sitting in a London cinema, waiting to watch a film about Jesus, made by a Christian production company. I wondered if the trailers would be ‘normal.’ They were.

One of the trailers featured David Attenborough, in which he told us the good news – good news that might save the planet, and indeed save civilisation as we know it.

“If we save the sea, we save our world.”

As Attenborough spoke about this, the statements right at the top of this blog post came up on the screen. We were being invited to pay homage to David Attenborough.

Meanwhile, he was explaining that we could be the saviours of the world. Or is it the sea? It’s either ourselves or the natural world that we should be worshipping. It’s slightly confusing, but it’s one of those two for sure.

I’m not suggesting that we shouldn’t look after the ocean. But as Christians we need to be on our guard against idolatry.

If someone follows an ‘organised religion’ like Islam, it’s easier to remember that we’re worshipping different gods. But we might find it harder to remember that our secular friends are also worshipping a different god.

Sometimes we can admire people’s devotion to something. But even while we do that we should notice that what they are doing may be an act of worship to their god.

Usually people don’t preach their idolatry quite as clearly as the cinema trailer did. So we need to be careful that when we’re watching and reading stuff, we’re aware of what we’re being invited to worship. And we should help our children with that, too. Let’s not assume that family movies are idol-free and worldview-neutral. Everything has a worldview. (In this case I just leaned over and said to my kids, ‘I think they’re confused between Jesus and David Attenborough.’)

I say this not to panic anybody but more as an encouragement that in the gospel we have freedom, and we should remember that and enjoy it.

We don’t need to get up at 5am to pray to The Lord, but we can if we want to.
We don’t need to use paper straws, but we can if we want to.
We don’t need to run a marathon, but we’re free to do that.
We don’t have to homeschool our children, but we are free to choose.
The only thing we need is to worship and trust in Christ alone.

Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’

Not what I ordered

I recently taught a lesson to the children at church about Matthew 7:7-12. (I could remember teaching it before, not too long ago, so the Lord must have really wanted me to pay attention this time!)

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?”

This is an easy one to illustrate with kids. You just need bread and a stone. Of course, that’s one of the ways that Jesus is a genius. It’s so simple, a child can understand it. And yet it’s so profound that the Sunday School teacher is still pondering it weeks later.

I think it might be inevitable that when talking about asking God for things and being given those things, we end up talking about the times when we don’t get what we ask for.

I’m hoping this wasn’t a distortion but I talked to the children about how, with their parents, sometimes they ask for the stone, but they’re given the bread. Our mums and dads don’t want us to break our teeth. We might stomp and whine and pout because we really do want that stone. But our parents love us, so they keep saying ‘no.’

I hope we can see how our Heavenly Father is like this. I ask for things that seem really good to me, but when he says ‘no’ and gives me something else instead, I can trust that he is acting for my good.

How do I know? As Jesus says, ‘If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!’

As an aside – If you’re reading or watching stuff that tells you to always say ‘yes’ to your children, even when they’re asking for the wrong things, please reject this. Our children do not know what’s good for them. That’s one of the reasons God gave them parents. ‘No’ is often the kindest thing you can say to your child.

But back to me, in Sunday School, thinking, ‘I recently used these exact props – what did I use for a snake last time?’, another thought struck me.

Sometimes, we’re given good gifts we don’t want. They don’t taste like a freshly baked bread roll or some beer-battered haddock. But they’re given to us by God for our good. I know not everything is called a gift, so I don’t want to stretch this out too far. But I’ve been given trials, which I did not ask, seek or knock for. They don’t seem good to me. But is my Heavenly Father a better parent than I am? Yes, a thousand times yes.

I give my children things they don’t want: discipline, healthy food, lessons in tidying up after themselves. This is for their good. They might not trust me, but they should!

How much more should I trust my Heavenly Father? He has given me a chronic illness that I didn’t want. I still don’t want it. But even now I can see that he is using it to teach me to depend more on him, which is such a good thing. I can give thanks to him, not just for the medicine and the doctors, but even for giving me this trial.

So next time your child doesn’t want what you’ve given him or her (which happens rather frequently for me, anyone else?), may it remind you to give thanks for what God has given you that you neither sought or asked for.

How to have a Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve! I hope you’ve got a restful day planned – but I know you might be working/travelling/prepping. I really hope your day doesn’t involve any Christmas shopping, eek. But if it does, I’m sure all will be well!

I love buying gifts, but I find it difficult to think of gift ideas for all of my children several times over. I can buy them gifts, but when their lovely grandparents, uncles, aunts, family friends etc. ask me what to buy for them, I run out of ideas.

My daughter has her Birthday in November (every year!), so we have enough trouble trying to think of what to give her, and then as soon as it’s over we’re asking her what she’d like for Christmas. She can never think of anything.

I’m similar, because I spend all year trying to practise contentment, not coveting my neighbour’s donkey, and then suddenly I’m asked to come up with an entire list of things I want. (And my Birthday is in December – every year.) I don’t mean to complain about this, I just find it a peculiar shift.

For weeks I’ve been asking my daughter what she’d like, and she’s been apologising – apologising! – for not knowing. In the end I told her, it’s wonderful to be content. That’s the right thing to be. Well done.

I don’t mean it’s sinful to ask for the latest Richard Osman book for Christmas. But godliness with containment is great gain. I try not to mind either way if I get what I’ve asked for at Christmas. We try not to encourage our children to write lists and especially not to get their hearts set on anything in particular. Maybe this is weird? But we just try to set their expectations low.

So here’s my big Christmas Eve tip. Let’s prepare our hearts, and our children’s hearts, for a contented Christmas Day. Let’s warn them that someone else will probably get a gift that they’d really like, and someone will buy them a gift which they don’t want. It’ll be wrong. It’ll be very wrong or just not quite right. That gift will likely be from me. Sorry in advance!

We can pray that God would make us thankful instead.

Thankful that he gives us breath in our lungs.
Thankful that he gives us people who love us.
Thankful that he has given us the greatest, most costly gift.
Thankful that he is all we need and more.

What freedom there is in being thankful!

19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart. Ecclesiastes 5

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6

Misty Morning

Happy Little Christmas Eve! How are we all feeling? I hope the advent season has been fun for you and full – but not too full – of joyful things.

All being well, by the time you read this I’ll be up in Scotland visiting my family. After all the build up and planning, I’m always surprised by how quickly December comes upon us and then races by. At no other time of year do we spend so much time or so many WhatsApp messages planning out one, two or three days of the calendar.

It’s a lot of pressure to put on a day, or ourselves, or the people hosting. There’s always a risk that come 28th December (the limbo period) we’ll feel quite flat and maybe a bit disappointed. And if I can feel like that, how much more so my young children who haven’t seen as many Christmases come and go? Time moves more slowly from their perspective, and things look bigger from where they’re standing. It’s easier for them to get overwhelmed with excitement.

If I feel like this as a follower of Jesus, I do wonder how much more I’d feel it if I wasn’t. To go through all of the motions, all of the decorating, singing, dressing up, gift buying, gift wrapping, travelling etc. and not to have Jesus, I think the somewhat underwhelming reality of 25th December would really feel like an annual blow. Or even the most beautiful, magical, truly happy Christmas would be over too soon. Days later I’d be packing away the lights on a grey morning and hitting the sales to try to cheer myself up.

I’ve got absolutely nothing against people who love Christmas but don’t know Jesus. I just wish they could know how good it is when you’ve got something real, solid, tangible – someone incarnate – to celebrate.

At church we’ve been reading the book of Ecclesiastes. The ‘Teacher’ in the book calls everything under the sun (a world without God in the picture) ‘utterly meaningless.’ The word ‘meaningless’ is the Hebrew word ‘Hevel.’ Hevel means vapour, smoke, or breath. That’s how he describes all of the pleasures, accomplishments or possessions we can get our hands on in this life.

Without the Lord Jesus, the most beautiful Christmas market in the world or the best children’s performance or the cosiest Christmas Day with your family is fleeting, and because it’s fleeting you can’t hold onto it. It’s hevel.

If you’ve ever watch a 3D movie at the cinema, people often reach out to grab what they see in front of them – a dolphin perhaps. But it’s not there. There’s nothing tangible. And that’s fine, because we knew what we were paying for. Nobody has their hopes up.

I haven’t seen the ABBA show ABBA Voyage, with the holograms, nor do I ever want to see it. I hear it’s amazing. But we all know they’re not actually there. If you try to storm the stage and dance with Bjorn or Benny, you’ll be disappointed.

Christmas without the Lord Jesus is a clever 3D image, a hologram, a Virtual Reality illusion, which tricks people in December and leaves them dissatisfied in January. How freeing it is to have something more wonderful at the centre of Christmas than any of the festive frills we add to it. We have this wonderfully good news of great joy for all the people. We can pin all our hopes on Jesus to give us joy this week and for the rest of our lives. We can show our children a joy and a thrill far, far greater than any grotto or panto.

Not only is Jesus better than everything, but he also gives us every good thing that we enjoy over Christmas, so we can give thanks to him. This is so freeing, to lift our eyes from the gifts to give thanks to the Giver. It takes the pressure off the day, the people and the stuff. The birth of Jesus is more than enough, and anything else he gives us to celebrate with is a bonus we can thank him for.

On 28th December we can pick up our Bibles and read of a God who loves us enough to shower us with gifts. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1. He’s really real. He’s not a mist. He’s the great I AM.

So let’s party!

Book Review – When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll

I’ve been reading a brilliant book that I think you all should read. You can buy it here. I’d suggest you by 5 copies and give them out to people you love.

It’s an extraordinary testimony of how the Lord sustained a family through the unimaginable. It’s the sort of story that would keep you awake at night, worrying it might happen to you. Except that if you read the book, you won’t do that. You come away with a bigger view of God’s goodness, faithfulness and generous provision.

The chapters are short, so this could be read by a new parent who’s not getting enough sleep, or even by someone who is suffering a hard time themselves. Brad Franklin is honest and down to earth and clearly has a pastor’s heart. He’s full of encouragement. Every time I’ve picked this book up to read a section, I’ve come away feeling encouraged. It’s quite miraculous.

If you don’t want to know the story, just go ahead and buy a copy here. As always, I’m not getting anything for telling you this. I was given a copy of this book by a lovely lady who actually reads my blog (Hi Catherine!) who I met at a wedding. My decision to recommend the book to you was entirely my own.

SPOILER ALERT: Read on if you’d like to know the context.

Brad Franklin’s wife Megan died very suddenly at the end of December 2019. She was eight months pregnant with their seventh child. The child survived, but as Megan went to be with Jesus, Brad was left alone with seven children, including a newborn.

Except he wasn’t alone. This is the story of how God provided for him and his family. I know some of his boys because I work in their school. They are a delight. I wish this hadn’t happened to them, but I trust that God in his wisdom is working for their good. And reading more about their story has helped me to see that even when the unthinkable happens – yes, even then – God is good.

If you’re having a hard time right now and just trying to keep your head above water, here are some words from Brad:

Christian, if the sun goes down and you still trust in Christ for your salvation, if you still love God and want to serve him – that day is a success. Whatever else happened that day, God has kept you. That’s a good day. (p.138)

We will all suffer in this life. Jesus said we’ll have trouble. Books like this can help to prepare us for hardships, and equip us to help others through those times, too. God gives us church family, and he displays his glory through them. This is largely a book about the glory of the church. Brad writes, ‘I so desperately wanted God to be glorified in healing Megan. That didn’t happen, but he was glory in ways I didn’t anticipate.‘ (p.93) I know, this brought tears to my eyes as I read it in an A&E waiting room a couple of weeks ago.

Praise God for his manifold wisdom. Brad isn’t just saying these things because they sound like the right things to say. You can tell that he really means them.

When things get serious, or even tragic, knowing Jesus really does make all the difference in the world.

‘When peace like a river attenders my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.’
Horatio G. Spafford

“In this world you will have trouble. 
But take heart! I have overcome the world.“John 16.33