“Savor” is one of my favorite words. Of ALL time. It speaks to me in colors and pictures and feelings. During my sabbatical, God spoke to me about my favorite words. About writing about them. The list begins with a handful of words that, regardless of time of year and circumstance, I love. The word “savor” is at the top of the list.
“Savor” reminds me to stop. One of the definitions that freedictionary.com attributes to “savor” is: “To appreciate fully; enjoy or relish”. It’s hard to really savor something if you’re in a hurry. Savor is a word naturally related to eating and food...two of my favorite things. One does not savor something quickly...savoring at its very core must be done rather slowly. It is an event. A happening.
The choice to savor something has to be a conscious one. Even if you didn’t know ahead of time that the moment to savor something was approaching, you acknowledge it when it arrives and decide to ingest whatever it is slowly. It could be a favorite song or a special scent. It could be a moment of quiet or a moment of sheer “dance like no one’s watching” joy. Whatever it is, to truly savor it, you must stop the other things you are currently doing or carrying or busying yourself with, and give in to the savoring.
When was the last time you gave in to a moment? When was the last time that the schedule or the ever-present “to-do” list gave way to a special happening that needed to be savored? This is especially hard to do this time of year. You would hope that it wouldn’t be it (it being Christmas and all), but it is. There are parties and gatherings to be attended or prepared for. There are bathrooms to be cleaned, shopping to be done. There are parking spots to be fought for, and sales to be be taken advantage of. I believe God’s advice to us in this moment- and all of them really- is to savor the stuff that really counts. Our kids (no matter their age or current attitude) need to be savored. The minutes of peace and quiet that God gives us need to be savored. The sound of kids in the neighborhood. The smell of cookies or Christmas trees or those crazy cinnamon scented pinecones in Michael’s Arts and Crafts (I have some of those crazy pinecones currently in my house). They all need to be savored. The prayers of friends. The chance to intervene in prayer on the behalf of someone in need. Jesus coming to earth to rescue us. The Father’s heart that He loves us that much. All of these and so many more need to be savored.
What will you and I do today to make sure that we don’t miss a moment that God wants us to savor?
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
Talk about it...
*What are you and your family members looking forward to savoring this Christmas Day? Take a few moments for each family member to share.
Read Luke chapter 2. Talk with family and friends about any “a-ha” moments that you had while reading chapter 2. God always has new things to teach us when we read His Word (it’s a living and breathing thing remember).
Take a really close look at verse 19. What do you find Mary doing in this verse? Yep, she’s savoring the moment that God has placed her in. Amazing, isn’t it? She’s got a million things going on at the moment (recovering from childbirth, a long journey, neighborhood shepherds stopping by), but she stops. She looks around and takes in the scene. The Baby’s teeny fingers, the look of awe on Joseph’s face, the silence of the night. She savors the moment. Isn’t that amazing?
*What moments have you had today that you have truly savored?
*Who has God placed in your life that you can savor a moment with today?
Don’t forget to take time in prayer to savor Jesus’ presence. He is Emmanuel. God with us. Messy us. Busy us. Distracted us. He came with grace, mercy, and peace for us. Let’s savor that today.
Pray about it...
Gracious King, thank You for coming to rescue us. Thank You for the special moments that You have already given us today. We ask that You would give us the eyes, the ears, and the heart to notice the moments that You want us to stop and savor. Most of all Jesus, please help us to stop and savor You. Your love. Your goodness. Your grace.
In Your name we pray, amen.
On behalf of the entire Greenridge Staff, I wish you the merriest Christmas yet. We love you dearly.
-Deni Sunderly
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