December 11
Antalya, Turkey
It is December. And each December, my calendar fills very quickly with engagements and to-do’s. The weekends fill quickly with fun things to do with friends or celebrations or church services or blocks of time to get things done. I generally look at my calendar each December and get very tired. And I think to myself, “Is this what this season is about?” And my answer to that statement each year is, “no.” And I generally make some half-hearted attempt to make it different for the next year.
This year, it is different. Very different. I don’t even have a calendar. And for my melancholy personality, that is a bit much for me to wrap my brain around. I like schedules and calendars. I like to know what is going on, however packed it is. But this year, my days leading up to Christmas look a bit different. Look a little less packed. Look a little less structured. And more like what this season is about.
We strolled into Antalya wondering what this month would look like and hopeful for the month of ministry and team growth that was awaiting us in this part of the world. We have been able to prayer walk the streets and proclaim the reason for this season. In my heart I am celebrating a holiday that the people of this place could care less about. In fact, I am quite sure they don’t think about it at all, save the occasional reference from an American movie or TV show that they are watching. But I have found quite an honor and pleasure in praying Isaiah 9 for this place. Isaiah prophecied about the Child that would be born to us, a son, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace who would come and when He did, the people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. I am not quite sure I have ever been in a more dark place spiritually. The mosques call out to the people, but the call and the lights that beckon the followers leave me feeling empty and sad. The women walk around with head coverings that look like the cloth weighs millions of pounds under the weight of oppression and shame. The people of this culture think that the time we celebrate Christmas in America, is just an early New Year. And so, in my sadness for those that are missing out on Jesus, I find great honor in praying the real reason for Christmas over this place…the One who came to rescue, redeem, and love. The One who came to give us the amazing gift of life and hope.
And in a month that is easy to miss home, God has given me delights to remind me of His love:
(our contacts here are from Georgia. They like Chik-fil-A and say “ya’ll.” They are amazing and have made our stay here a blessing. They are servants and have amazing hearts, ones that resemble the heart of the Man we celebrate this time of year. They also have a UK ornament on their tree, which makes me love my favorite part of Christmas even more – my nephews and niece.)
(a white Christmas – these are the snow covered mountains that are right outside our pansiyon, where we are staying.)
Just today, He showered Christmas blessings on me in a way that I thought was only associated with home. I love December and preparing for Christmas, because I love making things for people like ornaments and cards. I love preparing Christmas lessons for the kids at church. And I love baking Christmas cookies and treats. Today, I helped with all three. With each cut of the Christmas trees or each stir of the spoon in the batter, I was showered with a sense of normalcy in the midst of a place that knows nothing of the reason behind these preparations. It was a gift to me. A gift to my soul. The amazing servant that we helped today told us that we were an answer to prayer. She asked God for helpers and we showed up. One, I love being an answer to prayer. And two, I think I might have been blessed more than she was.
Helping made this December a little more normal. Still, without calendars and a packed schedule. But it made it so much more dynamic, too. Christmas tree crafts may not seem like a big deal, like it is a lot of work for some kid to throw away. But it could be the very thing that brings a child into the Kingdom! The very thing that ushers in the freedom and love of Jesus into the heart of a child.
Perhaps it was best that this activity didn’t make it in a nice little box labeled December 11th on a calendar. Perhaps it means more. We showed up and God used us. We joined Him in what He is doing here and He honored it. Even without a calendar. And I am left to wonder what next Christmas will look like. I will have access to a calendar, and perhaps even a reason for it. But even though there may be a reason, is there an importance? God is at work everywhere, whether in the states or abroad, and we can join Him. It doesn’t require a calendar, just a willing heart to go after all He has for us. He won’t let us down. And in fact, I think we might be surprised by truly, all that is available for us to enjoy. He is good and the giver of good things. The more we let go of trying to get those things for ourselves, the more we are impressed by how He provides the things we love. In fact, He even delights in doing so. I certainly am still in the process, but I have been impressed and surprised at His goodness at every turn of this adventure.
