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You have waited long enough! The time has come, repercussions are on the way unless you act immediately, and there is no forgiveness for slackers.
Ease down, my fellow conspirator, I will explain. Since Christmas is really really over, as even the 12 days are spent, I and you — that's we — are now responsible to take down those wonderful decorations that took us the better part of a week to put up. I begin with the tree lights — as there is no way under heaven that those stupid lights can be put away without two miles of tangles — I just take the wad of lights out in the back yard and behind the bushes that keep our neighbors from watching me scamper about in my unmentionables and bury those lights. Come on! I usually wait until midnight, when I have to take Down Girl Sit out for a stroll, so who's to know? I am so clever. Since I am writing to mostly men about this solution, I need to warn you that you must prepare a plausible excuse for next December. "What! Honey! You must be kidding! Those dad-gum squirrels must have a hole into the attic and they persist in stealing our lights. I guess it's my fault as I always pack the lights in peanut shells like Michael Guido talked about in one of his Seeds for the Sower lessons. I guess you missed that segment."
Julie just smiles lovingly and goes back into the bedroom for her morning prayers. She always begins, "Oh, Lord, why me?" She is very religious.
All in all, Christmas is so very special and it is very difficult to let the season go. For a few days, the house seems so quiet and empty without all the expectation, music, symbolism, love and wonder, but the new year has begun and must be met with all the energy and hard work possible.
God, it was a tough year and this coming year might be just as difficult. We could not have made it without You and we pray we can depend upon You. ... Forgive us, Lord. We know in our hearts You'll always be here, but we're just scared and frightened by what might happen that is out of our control. Can You give us a word of comfort?
The Gospel of Matthew tells us of the time when the family of Joseph ben Jacob was warned of King Herod's impending slaughter of any child who might threaten his throne and were told they must leave immediately. Were Mary and Joseph prepared? Were they comforted? Were there any assurances that Egypt had any future whatsoever? How long would they stay, would they survive and would they ever come home?
Let me begin with Joseph. "He got out of bed, took the child, Jesus, and his mother, and left in the night." I just know in my heart that Mary, being one tough lady, packed everything needed into a couple of sacks and threw them on the back of the donkey, wrapped baby Jesus up in a warm blanket while humming a song of comfort and stepped out into the darkness and never looked back.
This was the new year for the ben Jacob family. There were only two choices here: stay and possibly lose everything or move on and survive! It was: refuse to listen or obey and see what happens!
I am not too sure which choice is the best sometimes. There is the choice that is so easy: just keep on doing what I have been doing. It may be a dead end, but it is comfortable and predictable. Or, listen to the still small voice of God that speaks in the night and says, "Try it My way." It may be so different and unpredictable.
What will happen this year? Only God knows.
Matthew gives us the answer, "Get up, pack your bags and go home!"
Come home, believers. Come home.
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