Where's the Line to See Jesus?

 

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…Jingle Bells…It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas…..Christmas Carols play incessantly in the background while people run to and fro, busy looking for the latest special, the perfect gift, a bargain, the perfect pair of shoes, the latest electronic toy.  Children line up to see Santa, to pose for the annual Christmas picture sitting on Old Saint Nick’s lap,  mom and dad worry about the bills and if the Christmas bonus will cover all the extra expenses.  The church ladies run about decorating the church, make the Christmas baskets for the poor, and getting ready for the annual Christmas dinner.  The minister and his staff are harried and working long hours adding the final touches to the Christmas play and making sure all the shepherds have their staffs and the angels have wings.  It is perhaps one of the busiest times of year what with Christmas cards, shopping, parties and all the activity that fills the season.  We all tend to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and find ourselves running ragged from commitment to commitment.

I am no different, here it is the twenty second of December and I just finished shopping, my tree just went up this weekend and no Christmas cards have been sent.  But this afternoon is different, Queno took the girls to the vacation Bible classes at church this afternoon, Chepe when along cause the youth are sponsoring the classes and my house is amazingly quiet.  I stayed home with Queno’s mom who is sick and sleeping right now.  My fingers rested on the keyboard while my mind tried fruitlessly to come up with something to write about.  My brain stalled and my fingers wandered over to Facebook, a dear friend had posted an original video and the title caught my eye.  Where’s the line to see Jesus?  Captivated I clicked on the link and the words of the simple song and melody cut into my conscious.  “Where’s the line to see Jesus, is He here at the store?  If Christmas time is His birthday, why don’t we see him more?  Where’s the line to see Jesus? He was born for me.  Santa Claus brought me presents but Christ gave His life for me.”  As I listened to the simple song tears began to flow in silence down my face, tears of joy, tears of guilt, tears of sadness for days gone and lost, tears of love for the One who gave all for me.”  I thought of the shepherd’s heeding the tidings of the angels kneeling in the cold night, gazing of the face of the Eternal God who became man. Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus the son of Mary born in a stable.

Have we lost the Christmas message?  Is it hidden far under the gold and red baubles, the ribbon bows and bright colored wrapping paper.  Have we lost the awe of the shepherd boy kneeling at the manger?  Are we so busy celebrating Christmas that we have forgotten to gaze on the face of Christ? 

So I too ask the question, “where’s the line to see Jesus’”  In the quiet of my home, with Christmas carol’s playing quietly in the background, by the colored lights of the Christmas tree, I knelt by my chair and asked permission of the Father to enter into the Holy Place just for a bit to visit with Jesus.  We had a friendly talk about my failures, about how patient and loving He is, we talked about family and friends, about how I miss my children, how sometimes the job He gives me frightens me just a bit, we visited about loved ones gone before, about years gone by.  I asked how heaven was, if it is as great as I dream.  We talked about tomorrow and what the future holds, just for a minute I gazed on His face in awe in His presence in worship and love.  Time seemed to stand still; how long I was there I don’t know.  Nurtured in the sweet presence of the Christ, I drew strength and hope. 

As we draw near to the day when we celebrate His birth, I invite you to stand in this line and see Jesus.  Take a minute or two to visit with Him, it’s His birthday after all.

God Bless you all, everyone.

Merry Christmas

Queno, Lori et al.

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