Happy Sixth Day of Christmas
When I was growing up, one of the superstitions that people around me believed was that you must take your Christmas tree down before New Year’s Day so you wouldn’t have “bad luck.” I am thankful that Christ has set me free from this superstition (and all other superstitions, too). Besides, I like keeping my Christmas decorations up for a while longer.
When I sang “The Twelve Days of Christmas” growing up, I wondered what was meant by the twelve days of Christmas. I was glad to find out that the first day of Christmas is Christmas Day. That gives me eleven more days to celebrate–and not to feel pressured to get all that stuff put away quite yet.
When Ray and I were shopping over the weekend, store clerks were telling us “Happy New Year.” I felt a bit sad. “Hey, I’m not ready to skip to the New Year yet. I’m not ready for Christmas to be over!”
After all, today is just the sixth day of Christmas. We have six more to go! I don’t have to feel sad that I didn’t do everything I wanted to do before Christmas. Maybe I can still fit in some of those things.
Is there anything in your life that you are rushing through? Is there something about your life that needs to slow down? I encourage you not to be in such a hurry.
I never see Jesus in a hurry in the Gospels. Consider this example from John 11:
Now Jesus loved Martha
and her sister and Lazarus.
So when He heard that he was sick,
He then stayed two days longer
in the place where He was.
Then after this He said to the disciples,
“Let us go to Judea again.”
John 11:5-7, NASB
Jesus lived a disciplined life, always doing exactly what God wanted Him to do at a given time. When He was interrupted, He stopped, taught, and served. When it was time for His crucifixion, He was ready and willing.
For while we were still helpless,
at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:6, NASB
May God give us wisdom to know when we need to hurry and when we need to wait.