Enlarge Our Hearts

Every Christmas we are surrounded by anything and everything to steal our attention away from what we should be celebrating. The mad rush to find the right gift, the desperate dash to transfer money to cover credit card balances, the disappointment of family fights, and even the horror of our favorite coffee place NOT serving eggnog. We tend to get lost in the trivial and miss the significance of a birth. A baby. Lying in a manger and surrounded by people whose lives were interrupted to find that all they had come to know, and all the only way they knew how to live was all wrong. Christmas is certainly a time for generousity, it is a time to brign families together, and a time to celebrate through various ways and traditions. However, the purpose of Christmas is to recognize the birth of a Savior. Sure, we should do this more than one day a year, but this day is set aside for a specific time of focus. The birth of the Jesus should remind us that what we do during this “holiday” should ultimately draw the hearts of those around us to Christ. The difficulty is that our own hearts are rarely drawn to that purpose. This Christmas we will be striving to rid our hearts of the distractions so GOd can give us the greatest gift of all…we are asking that our hearts be full of Him. This in turn, is the sole reason we are praying for God to “Enlarge Our Hearts” so we may have more of what really counts this Christmas. Come and join us as we strive to live our life with hearts full of the Good News that Jesus is alive!

LUKE 2:1-20

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.10 And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.