Reflecting on Traditions and the Light of the World... a Five Minute Friday post

Once again, somehow Thursday turned in to an all day work-in-this-chair-and-stare-at-this-screen day! It was accompanied with Adele and lots (and lots) of coffee... but come nightfall, I took a break... stepped away from the light of the screen to spend a little time reflecting with the Light of the World... (Oh - you will see what I just did there in just a sec!)  Then I returned, but not to work... oh no... to party! Even after a long day on this computer, I couldn't imagine not connecting up with my tribe... because, of course! 

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: REFLECT

{GO}

In the dark of night, with just a little light... reflections bounce off of every surface and with the glow of candles still burning and fire still stirring, we are surrounded by flickers of Glory.

It's Christmas time when daylight is spotty at best... for when the sun is up - so often lately it is (or feels) hidden and I find myself longing for the warmth of it... of Him.


I reflect back over traditions we have kept, ones we started new when we were younger, and ones that we are slowly letting go of as we lean in to this new season of Empty Nesting...

And suddenly, maybe for the first time... I find myself reflecting on what a great sacrifice it was for Father and Holy Spirit to let Jesus leave them... to go out and do what He was destined to do - knowing the risk and the price and even knowing that in the end it would all be worth it. What sacrifice - to go... and to let go!

While angels and shepherds rejoiced and Mary pondered things in her heart, the Father was already missing His one and only Son somethin' fierce... (I am only guessing assuming!)

Because here is the thing: God is not limited to time, but oh how the heart keeps track anyway. 

I reflect back to when my little was, well--little and we only had a house full of one... an only... so our level of chaos was still relatively low - but the hustle and bustle of the holidays was most definitely louder back then.  I thrive in the quiet... but oh how I miss a bit of the clanging about at Christmas time.

I decorate the house and relish in the loveliness of the glow... I wrap the gifts, counting blessings as I go:

"Thank you, Father for providing, for I know not everyone can buy and wrap and give."

"...thank you God for a warm home and lights to read by, to reflect back over a life so cherished and blessed." 

"Thank you Lord for the quiet... even though it may still sting a little every once in awhile..."

Even when the enemy whispers it is hollow... I know in my heart and soul, what it really is is Holy!

For it is in the quiet that I once again center and calm and gain perspective and catch a bit of that Glory that shows off with just a bit more boldness this time of year! (Can you see it too? It's there... you just have to look!)

Last night - even though it was already the 5th night of Hanukkah, I lit the candles for the first time.  It's something my girlie and I used to do together and I felt empty doing it alone, so I just kept waiting. 

Waiting... waiting... waiting...

Sort of like Advent... waiting...

But our holiday traditions, while enjoyed together, were always meant to draw each of us closer to Him... and more than company with my kid, I needed to keep company with my King... so I lit the candles and I read the Blessings and the Scriptures that talk about the Light of the World.*

And I remembered that even back then, this world was a mess and always -we have needed a Savior... always -we have been a weary world in need of some rejoicing... of some redeeming... 

And so He came... 

He pressed through from Heaven to this spinning world, spinning out of control. 

He left His Fathers' house... 
to come and build a home for us.
    And I am oh so glad that He did!

{STOP}

So over the past few days I have been reflecting over all those years of waiting for the Messiah to come... hundreds and hundreds of years... it makes my waiting seem impatient and short.  

I've been reflecting on how even though we are in a good season and our girlie is close by - it's still a new season. So often to fully embrace the new, you have to let go of the old... so some old traditions and old expectations are being laid down... it made me think of how it's always been God's favorite thing -to walk together in the cool of the day... and how He must have missed that face to face connection with Jesus for all of those 33 years. Of course, they were still communing and together in spirit... but Jesus became fully man, laying aside His deity and not considering himself equal with God while here on earth.

I reflect and wonder and cannot fathom the greatness of the Fathers' love toward Jesus and how He pours it all out to drench this worn out, weary world and to love us like how He loves His only begotten Son.  

I think of how the Father must have hoped He was still the voice in Jesus' head as He watched from afar all of the things that Jesus set out to do here on earth... of how He must have longed for the day when they could walk side by side in the Garden, laughing and talking and communing together once again, face to face, heart to heart... 

But until that day, with some kind of crazy (misplaced?) faith, God the Father entrusted His Son to us... Us... A fallen and broken people... because all the while, He knew how easy it is to love Jesus... if we will but let ourselves do just that!

I pray that you will... that you will let yourself love Jesus and be loved by Him... that amidst all of your holiday doings... you will make time to sit and reflect and simply BE with your Savior - the One who willingly left all of heaven, to bring all of heaven to you!

And a weary world rejoices...

* = When my Five Minutes were up... Grace, please. I didn't want to stop the flow!

Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today.  Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click here to read what others have to say about "REFLECT"

The FMF lowdown: The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the talking tapping & we hit publish before we can second guess it all away. 


We'd love to have you join us... we have one more Five Minute Friday party next Thursday night! Find us over on Twitter by using the hashtag #fmfparty and jump right in!