My Mac N' Cheese Christmas

When I came back from Africa, I knew my life had been flipped over, backward, sideways, and upside down. I just knew it. I knew it the first moment I inhaled Africa. The first child I saw that was parentless, orphaned so young. The first widow I watched cry out to God. The first village I saw with nothing but Jesus for survival. The first tear that rolled down my cheek left a permanent stain on the fabric of my soul, changing the very essence of my being. The whole way back from Africa, I just prayed and prayed. Jesus, thank you for bringing me home... Jesus don't let me forget what I've seen and heard.  I don't want that other person back (not that she was bad... just different than now). Jesus, use me anyway you choose and I will obey. I made a promise to God right there in my seat on Delta Airlines somewhere over the Atlantic that I would not turn my back on the widows and orphans in Africa. I would not let this be a field trip, but a game changer.

"If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?" Matt 16:25-26, 

 do you see those little feet??

I was totally prepared to eat generic mac n cheese from Walmart if it meant I could focus on getting clean water for villages in Africa and caring for the orphans and widows. And yes, I quit my job after about 2 hours of returning. And yes, we ate a lot of mac n cheese, happy as can be! But you see friends, God loves our obedience and He delights in revealing Himself to us.....for the sole purpose of being glorified by us and through us. He delights in blessing us, it IS His nature. And He brought my old job/new job back to me with a  renewed purpose. I am very blessed to have an employer that is totally on board with this mission. Embedding this mission into their vision as a company... spending marketing dollars to support my (our) cause. Blessed. Totally blessed. Thank you Jesus.

It is in this new skin that I am approaching this Christmas season. I've been pretty radically changed by Africa but my children have not had the same experience, so I need to find some balance. J and I have never really been of the "more is more" mindset, always been in the "less is more" category. But even more so now.  How do I fit my Africa brain into American Christmas? I think about how many children would be fed by that XBOX 360, and I pause as a tear rolls down my cheek while standing in the store. And as we roll our cart begrudgingly to the checkout, I tell myself balance is necessary. I want my children to be thankful, grateful, and blessed... We are blessed to be living in the US. And eternally blessed by the birth of Jesus Christ.

So how can we find balance this Christmas season? As we go about our shopping and wrapping, consider one of the biggest gifts you could be giving someone this season... the gift of forgiveness; either giving or receiving. Is there a phone call you should make? A letter you should write? If none of these are possible... pray and forgive in the heavenly realms. This time of year has the tendency to bring out family dynamics that we'd prefer ignore, strained friendships, or whatever the case may be. Pray, ask God what you need to do. He will show you. To err is human, but to forgive is divine.

Christmas is a time of love, centered around the greatest love story ever told; John 3:16. And I have no doubt that the heavens rejoice over love triumphing and forgiveness occurring rather than shiny packages under our trees. 1 Peter 4:8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Forgiveness is not condoning offenses, but putting Jesus in front of it. And allowing love to penetrate places where hurt and anger hold you captive. Jesus is love.  How we treat others is how we treat Jesus... Matt 25:40 "I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"  And it's his birthday after all!  Why don't you give the gift he asks us to give. “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matt 6:14-15


" You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself " Matt 26:37-39

Merry Christmas friends!