The Desires of My Heart vs. The Heart of My Desires

On the last night of my Colombia missions trip, I lead a team devotional on the Heart of Our Desires.  I began with a piece of handmade paper for everyone and wrote the following verse on the top of it.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

I then asked the team members to write out what the desires of their hearts were on that paper, put it in the envelope provided, seal it, sign it  and date it - June 27th, 2011.  As a team we decided that Christmas Day would be a good day for us to open the letters. Today is Christmas Day.

I heard a speaker a couple of years ago who spoke on the heart of our desires.  God tells us that He will give us the desires of our heart, but we don't always get what we want. Why not?  God sees the big picture and He knows what we truly want and not just what we want at the moment.  It is kind of like that big huge piece of chocolate cake sitting in front of me calling my name.  Although that cake looks amazing, that dress in the store window that I need to lose 20 lbs to fit into will look so much more amazing than that chocolate cake will taste. 

So tonight I opened my envelope to see what it was I thought the desires of my heart were almost 6 months ago.  It is funny because a couple of the things on the list wouldn't be there if I wrote it today and if I were to re-write it, there would be other things that would be on it, but aren't there now.  Some things I am in the process of accomplishing and other things are on the list and remain on the list, but for now God says, "Not yet, my child."  So I continue to wait, but actively waiting, continuing to go forward becoming who I was created to be.

I put my letter back into the envelope and back into its special spot.  I have decided I want to look at it in another 6 months on the first anniversary of the day I wrote it.  It was a good lesson for me.  I love it.  I continue to trust that God has my best interests at heart and He just wants me to grow more into the woman He created me to be, a woman of love, of life and of passion.  I am getting there one day at a time.

It was a great Christmas gift. 

So What Is Christmas About Anyway?

I can tell you what it is not about... it is not about the tree with the beautiful light bulbs, or the garland and decorations.  It is not about the reindeer on the front lawn or the houses so beautifully decorated.  It is not about the jolly old man in the red suit.  It is not about standing in line at the mall waiting to pay for the gift you settled on for Aunt Sally because you couldn't find anything better.  It is not about all the baking.  It is definitely not about the peanut butter cups or the caramel corn I have been making and making and making.  It just isn't. 

Some of us get so busy at this time of year with concerts and party after party after party, that we are so exhausted and we end up forgetting what it is that is truly important and what or should I say who Christmas is about anyway.  Just look at the first 6 letters in the name of the holiday and you will see who it is... it is Christ who is the centre of Christmas. Why is it that we get so busy celebrating the day that we forget about Him? 

He came as a little baby so he could experience life as we experience it. He was born in a dirty old barn; a feed trough was his bed.  His first visitors were shepherds, the lowly shepherds, the ones who took care of the sheep.  He came with the goal of dying, so that we wouldn't have to.  A little baby, just a little baby who came to save us.  His birthday is coming and He wants us to celebrate by loving Him and loving one another.

Some people are in it for what they can get, not for what they can give.  He wants us to be in it for Him, loving Him by loving others.  He wants us to love our neighbour.  So who is our neighbour? It isn't just the family next door, it is the woman across town that needs a ride to her doctor's appointment; it is the homeless guy who just wants something to eat.  It is the single mom who just needs someone to come alongside her and encourage her on her path. It is a lot of ordinary people.

Matthew 25:34-40 says,  “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?  Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?  When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’"

I don't know about you, but I want to be able to stand before Him and be one of those who He calls blessed by His Father.  So today, I couldn't care less about wrapping gifts, I couldn't care less about what is under the tree for me.  I just want to be one of those people who is ready to love those who Jesus loves.  For Christmas this year I want eyes to see like Jesus sees, I want a heart like His. 

For me, Christmas is about a baby who came to revolutionize the world.  One thing I know for sure is that 2011 is the year He revolutionized my life. 

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus.

Phenomenal!

If you have walked into my office the last few weeks and asked me how I am, my answer has usually been "Phenomenal!"  One of the professors in particular would increasingly roll his eyes at my response and walk away without engaging in further conversation.  The other day when he was at my desk he asked how I was and he got the same "Phenomenal" and his response was, "Okay really? Someone needs to tone it down."  I looked at him and told him why I am "Phenomenal!"

This year, 2011 has been the most amazing year of my life.  Since my trip to Colombia, God simply flipped my life upside down and I feel like I am a totally new person, willing to take on life.  I work in a place that I love, with people that I love.  I became a grandmother to a beautiful little girl. Life is Phenomenal!  (I should have added I have a beautiful daughter and I am blessed to have amazing friends! All true.)  As I told this professor why Phenomenal was such an ongoing answer he smiled, shook his head and said that maybe he should stop being so "grinch-like."

I wouldn't have thought that 2011 would be this way because of the way it started, but as the year progressed God started doing some amazing things in my life, in my heart, healing past hurts, opening my eyes to truths that I didn't connect before between my head and my heart. I am re-evaluating so many things, because I am becoming a different individual. 

Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." 

I am becoming more bold, willing to try new things, do things I never thought I would even attempt before.  I participated in my first 5k this year, walking, but I was in it.  What a blast! So now I cannot wait to see what God has in store for 2012; it's coming soon.

So how am I? Life is more than just good; life is more than just great.  Life is PHENOMENAL!