Monday Morning Minute-January 3, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
How many times have you heard that in the last three days?
I hope and pray you have all had blessed and fun Christmas seasons and are ready for a new year. I have miss you all over the busy holiday seasons and greatly look forward to our monday morning minutes!
In all honesty, this  holiday season was one of the roughest I think I have ever endured. It has led me to start this 2011 in a spirit of depression as I try to walk through this wilderness I find myself in through no fault of my own. I am struggling to figure out how to "fix" this.
Sound familiar? Is there something weighing on your heart as you start this 2011? Are you like me and searching for ways to "fix" it? Are you coming to dead end after dead end after brick wall after vast ocean!? There just doesn't seem to be anyway around, across, or through.
Is that you? I know it's me.
But one thing I saw over the holidays has been my anchor, teathering me to reality.
I was sitting in the backseat of my car as my husband, sister, brother-in-law and I drove home from a date night and I was letting my mind wander as I looked out the window at the night sky. It was just after Christmas so most people still had their Christmas lights up and as we drove down the highway, what should come in to view?
A giant white star.
It was one of those giant stars that you see on the top of electrical or cell phone towers. And as I stared at it, I was reminded of another star...
Two Thousand years ago a star led lowly shepherds to leave their situations to find the Christ child and to begin the greatest story in history that would eventually lead to his death, but our salvation.
In the midst of my storm, I was captivated by this idea: I can not leave my eyes focused on my situation and still expect to see Christ.
What would have happened if the shepherds had kept their eyes on their sheep (their situation) and chose not to follow the star to Christ? I honestly don't know, but I do know they would have missed the incredible opportunity to see Christ as a baby...an honor that very few were blessed with.
Situations come and go in our lives, but our God is constant, consistent and stable. And maybe that is all we have to start our 2011 with, but it is everything...my God...your God...wants you to have the best year ever, in the midst of and in spite of whatever your situation may be.
So, join me in 2011 to keep our eyes focused on Christ and not our situations.