Let's Go Tell the World!

Name a few things that hurt when you step on them....and go!

1. Legos

2. Any toy (for that matter)

3. Jacks

4. Pine needles

and

5. These insidious things....

The aftermath of Christmas is filled with used wrapping paper, empty boxes, leftovers, strewn toys and clothing, and the tags off all them. The things that hold those tags in place are what has me intrigued today. Twice...okay, it was more like four times yesterday, I stepped on the remnants of tag holders. I'm sure they have a specific term but for us, we'll stick to 'tag holders'.

Tag holders don't seem to be that big a deal until I find them with my foot. Ha. Ha. There is no broken skin, no blood, or infection, just a grumpy preacher. And then there are real world problems like Joseph faced.

Yesterday, he welcomed a son into the world. He knew he wasn't the father and yet set about to care for Mary and the baby. Had to get food, drink, more clothing and blankets. Had to find a better place to stay while Mary recovered and baby grew. Surely, anything Joseph would step on to bring pain was insignificant. There were more important things to concentrate upon than pebbles on the ground, broken straw, or wooden splinters sticking out of the manger.

Christmas for us is all about the excitement, shopping, cooking, baking, worship services, gift giving and receiving, and ultimately the dreaded clean-up afterward. What would our Christmas look like if afterward, we busied about building on our experience of Jesus' birth? What would we change in order to focus solely on our faith in the baby lying in the manger who will soon save us from our sin?

The 'tag holders' are convenient excuses to keep me occupied with things that don't really matter much. Why am I focused there? Perhaps I need to refocus and allow irritable things like 'tag holders' to drift away so that real important things can take the lead in my life. Jesus is born yesterday in the city of David and He Is Christ the Lord. I need to be like the shepherds who said, "Let's go tell the world what we have seen and heard." The shepherds had every reason to be distracted with their work, the elements, and irritants yet dropped all these things to share the Gospel! I'm down with that! How about you?