Is the Who, You?

Wednesday, December 24th
Is the Who, You?
By Nicole Goddard

It doesn’t feel like Christmas until I’ve had the opportunity to laugh at the Griswold family shenanigans in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. One of my favorite scenes is when Clark Griswold drives the station wagon under the tractor trailer and his wife Ellen stares with wide eyes at the wheels of the truck in front of them! Sends me into giggles every time!

This scene can feel relatable this time of year. My attention is on everything and nothing all at once – it’s the normal day to day hustle but with a hundred Christmas events and plans to prepare for. Before I know it I’m a burnt out, short tempered, flustered Mama with my family staring at me with wide eyes at the result of my outburst. I may not have driven us under a tractor trailer, but my family was on the receiving end of my frustration.
Humble apologies can mend things with my family, but they don’t prevent me from wallowing in regret. Feelings of shame and unworthiness of God’s grace cloud my mind, driving a wedge between myself and the very reason for this season.

I’m not sure who God has laid on your heart, but what if this season the WHO you need to make peace with, is YOU?

For Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

We can fixate on our failures, believing the enemies lies that we will never receive God’s grace. Or we can allow our conviction to expose our insufficiency and dire need of a savior, laying our broken, ugly pieces at the manger this Christmas. I’ll bet we will be blown away with how he can transform them!