Today I’m excited to share with you the words of someone else. I’m so thankful for her thoughts, heart, and influence, not only here but throughout my life. I’m excited to introduce you to my mom, Vicki! I can’t think of a more fitting person to write the first guest contribution on this blog as she shares her thoughts on keeping your eyes on Christ at Christmas.
It happened again today.
I took my eyes from the vertical position, heavenward, and turned them toward the horizontal. My focus went from following only what the Holy Spirit is directing me to do to focusing on what my friends, neighbors, church, authors, and radio show hosts are telling me I should be doing.
Why do I continue to do that? I know what looking horizontally brings – fatigue, depression, feelings of inadequacies, trying to please others, the fear of letting others down, and frustration. I guess if I had to sum it up, I would say it makes my burdens heavy. Like a chain around my neck, I carry the burdens alone. But, oh the difference when my eyes have been looking upward.
“What next, Lord? Okay, I’ll do it.” Today, God has told me to go “there.” As Vance Havner said,
“’There’ is the place of God’s purpose. God has a ‘there’ for you, somewhere He wants you to be, something He wants you to do. You can never be truly happy elsewhere, nor can you please God anywhere but ‘there’.”
The path is not always easy. The days are not without trials. The problems are still before me. The difference is only in the weight of the burden. When I walk where He tells me to walk, the burden on me is light because He is carrying it for me.
During this Christmas season, we celebrate a day 2,000 years ago when God told His only Son, Jesus Christ, to go ‘there’ – the place of God’s purpose – and He went. Help me in all the hustle and bustle of this Christmas season to keep my eyes centered only on Him. For only then will I be where He wants to use me today.
Photo Credit Cliff Muller Creative Commons License
This week continues all things Christmas at From this Kitchen Table. (Find all the posts here.) Be sure to come back the rest of the week for a gift guide for teenage girls (written by my two teenage sisters) and to get a fabulous recipe for a gingerbread latte. You can follow us on Facebook or subscribe by e-mail to be sure you don’t miss out!
Linking up to Teach Me Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Tending the Home Tuesday, WFMW, Welcome Home Wednesday, Homemaking Link Up, From House to Home, Thriving Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, The Weekend re-Treat, Faith Filled Friday, Essential Fridays, Strut Your Stuff, Mindful Mommy Monday, Living Proverbs 31, Mama Moments Monday, TGIM, Babies and Beyond, Lovely Ladies, Fellowship Fridays
Beautiful post and such a great reminder to keep our focus where it needs to be – looking upward.
Looking upward – so simple but so easy to not do. I have a wise momma! 🙂
So easy to do, especially at this time of year. Great reminder to keep focused upwards.
Thanks for sharing at Essential Fridays.
Blessings
Mel from Essential Thing Devotions
It is so easy. Thankful for a mamma with a great heart and wisdom to share. Thanks for hosting.
Too many distractions when we look horizontally… Looking upward to God, our strength and source does help us draw strength to do what is right. Great post Deanna, have a super blessed day!
Love
Thanks for your kind words! I’m grateful for having a wise mom in my life. Have a great day!
Beautiful! I love it!! I needed this reminder today ( and everyday really). Sharing this today on the FB page becasue you know my favorite thing is spiritual mindfulness! Thanks for linking up with us this week for MMM link up party!
Same here. I need this reminder often. Thanks for hosting and all the work you put into your link up party!