Christmas Confetti

This is for Bev-the sender of that card so many years ago!

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.-Matthew 2:10 (NKJCV)

            Upon opening the Christmas card glittering bits of green and red confetti began to drop from between the card’s pages.  With a smile I picked them up and tucked them inside the folds of the card.  This routine happened throughout the season.  Time after time as I enjoyed our collection of cards, out fell the whirling images of “Happy Holiday!” and “Merry Christmas!”   Jon and I even the cat would chase them.   

            Preparing for Christmas gatherings I displayed our cards.  I secured the wandering seasonal confetti with a strip of tape inside the card’s leaf.  As our house filled for Christmas dinner and the card display was examined, the pieces could no longer cascade down. I found myself missing the metallic wishes of good cheer.

            I learned a faith lesson.  God sends us signals of His love.  His plan is to make us notice His grace, care, and love, like the falling Christmas confetti that I had to retrieve.  Sometimes we bind up the will of God in our lives like the steps taken to place the colorful cut-outs where I thought they should stay and in doing so we miss the opportunities to react with attention, gratitude, praise, and ministry.  When we find we are missing the joy that God can bring, we are moved to pray that His Spirit can be loosed in our lives again and cause us to restore that excitement of “exceedingly great joy!”

Prayer:  God, help me recognize Your Spirit as It flutters down and into my life.  May I be attentive to respond to It with exceedingly great joy