As I am writing this, Jesus is passing by the window of my office. He is with Mary and Joseph in the back of the pickup truck. Jesus is being stored away in the shed until next year. Kind of an interesting thought--storing Jesus and his family in the shed.
Storage shed take on a life of their own. Did you know that the storage industry generated over 24 billion dollars in 2013? That is alot of storage. We have so much stuff that we not only cannot put our cars in the garage (it is filled with stuff!) that we have to rent/construct other places to store it. The attic is full. The garage is full. Our closets are full. For most of us even baby Jesus can't fit into the storage shed. It is too full.
You can now bid on storage sheds that people have abandoned for one reason or another. There are some who have found treasures in these abandoned places. Great pieces of art, furniture, etc that have been left behind. I have not heard of any one finding Jesus in the shed. Or if they did they were not excited about it enough to tell anyone about it.
Some folks store Jesus on a weekly basis. I admit that I do not like to have the sanctuary doors locked at the church. It is as if we have to lock God in until next week. We certainly do not want God loose in our neighborhoods. The tamed and stored God is so much more fun to visit. We can just peek in on God when we need God.
So did you store Jesus away with all the other Christmas decorations? Or has the birth of Jesus changed your life so that storage is no longer an option? How can you keep the Christmas experience alive in your life? Let me offer some suggestions.
Celebrate each day! I do not think there are enough celebrations in life. I think one ought to celebrate the presence of people as much as possible. Celebrate one's health! Celebrate anything done well or done with intention. Shock someone today by giving them an standing ovation!!!
Give more than you receive. Generosity is missing in many people's world. Begin to think of changes you can make in your life to give more to others. Being generous creates holy spaces in your heart.
Pray. Pray as though you believe that prayer makes a difference in your life and others. It does! Pray for your enemies. Pray for those who think ill of you. Pray with Jesus. You will never be the same.
As Jesus and his family round the corner to head to the back shed of the church, I know they will be safe until next year when we take them out of storage. The real danger for my world is the Jesus I will not let be stored. It is this Jesus that will control my life this year. What will you do with Jesus?
Pray for me as I pray for you.
In the Master's Name,
Dr. M Jack O'Dell
www.midweekmanna.com
www.stlukesimpson.org
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