Waiting for Christmas
“How much longer?”
In the days leading up to Christmas, my
mother heard this question so many times, she was probably sick of it. Through
the eyes of a child, those few days between the end of school and Christmas was
an eternity.
Every
morning, I would go downstairs and turn on the Christmas tree lights. I’d double-check all the packages
underneath to make certain they were arranged with the larger ones in the back
and the smaller ones in front. I’d confirm all the name tags were visible so we’d
be ready when Christmas finally arrived.
As carols
played in the background, I’d remove the delicate characters from the nativity set,
dust them off, and then replace them one at a time, careful to position the
small statues so each one’s gaze fell on the Christ Child. As an illustration
of the birth of the Prince of Peace, I’d make certain some of the animals were
grazing unafraid close to the manger.
Finally, I’d turn on the soft ivory bulb in the
back of the little stable and blanket the scene with a warm, welcoming glow.
And all was done. All was ready. And then I would wait. Until the next day.
When I’d start my preparations all over again.
“How much longer?”
How many
times the Israelites must have asked that question in the hundreds of years
between the promise of the Messiah and His coming. Did they prepare their
hearts and lives daily for His impending arrival?
I’m sure some did. But in the space
between a promise and its fulfillment, God may seem silent. And keeping a sense
of expectation can be difficult, if not impossible.
“How much longer?”
How many
times have you asked yourself that question? You have a dream, a desire, a
ministry God has placed in your heart. And yet you feel caught in those years
between Malachi and Matthew. And God seems silent.
Know this,
time spent waiting on God is never wasted. He has a reason for the silence. Use
the time to prepare. Whatever your dream, study, practice, and learn to be the
best “whatever”
you can be.
My mother
was wise. She’d
call me into the kitchen and put me to work helping decorate the Christmas
cookies we gave our friends and neighbors as gifts. She knew the best way to
wait was to work.
So decorate
your cookies, dust off your nativity, and arrange your packages, because your
Christmas is coming.
Bio:
Carol James is an author of inspirational fiction. She
lives in a small town outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Jim, and a
perky Jack Russell "Terrorist," Zoe.
Having always loved
intriguing stories with happy endings, she was moved to begin writing to
encourage others as she'd been encouraged by the works of other authors of
inspirational fiction. You can connect with Carol at:
Buy links for Mary’s
Christmas Surprise:
Blurb:
Mary Sherman’s Christmas is nothing like she’s planned. Her
fiancé has called off
the engagement just days before Christmas, and her parents have gone on an
anniversary cruise around the world.
Suddenly alone
for the holidays, Mary returns to the comfort of her childhood home to spend
Christmas in her parents’ empty house. There’s only one problem. The house is not empty. Unbeknownst to Mary, her
parents have taken in a boarder, a handsome carpenter named Jake Wolesky.
Mary's Christmas
surprise may make this the best holiday ever.
Excerpt:
As some
universal bond drew her to him, Mary leaned her head against his shoulder, and
his arm encircled her, the quiet between them broken only by her uneven
breathing.
When Jake
finally spoke, his voice was soft, deep, resonating in his chest. “Burl wood is
an interesting thing—beautiful and strong. A burl’s caused by
stress to the tree. It might be disease, an injury. But instead of giving in
and dying, the tree fights back, and the portion that was affected becomes
twisted and interlocked—stronger than the part of the tree that never underwent
adversity. And more beautiful and valuable than wood that has never undergone
any sort of attack.”
She pictured the
lovely burl tabletop she’d seen tonight. As his embrace
tightened, she placed both her arms around his waist and pulled him close. More
than anything, she wanted to place a kiss of gratitude on his cheek, as if he
were the brother she’d never had. But she couldn’t. They were barely even friends yet. And he had a girlfriend.
He leaned his
cheek on the top of her head and whispered, “So, Miss Mary, time to fight back.”
Drawing away, he
picked up his mug and headed toward the back door. “Sleep well.”
Comments
I think we can all relate LOL.
Good luck and God's blessings with your Christmas story.
PamT
Congratulations on your Christmas Extravaganza release. I love the cover!
Merry Christmas!