I am sitting in the Volkswagen service department waiting room as I type this. No, nothing’s wrong with my car. I’m here for a check-up. You see, when we bought the Jetta it came with something that Volkswagen calls “Carefree Maintenance.” And, no, I’m not doing a commercial spot for VW, I have a point…so please hang in there with me, okay? With Carefree Maintenance, each big checkup and tune-up is already paid for. Done. My signature is all they need. That seems carefree to me. Volkswagen sends me a little note when the Jetta’s due for its maintenance. I make a call, set up an appointment, and voila! It’s done. Again, fairly carefree. Someone’s looking out for me and my car. I love that.
God got me thinking this morning as I lay in bed about just what He wanted to say in this devotional. I had planned on writing my devotion as I was sitting here in this very service department waiting room. And God…as He so often does…brought to mind the “everyday stuff” and tied it into His kingdom: carefree maintenance.
Wouldn’t it be lovely if someone sent you a note every so often (at just the moment you needed it) that reminded you that you need a check-up of sorts? Perhaps the note would say, “I’ve noticed you’ve been running without a break for several months now. Come on in and take a rest,” or maybe the note would read, “You seem a bit deflated. Stop by for a checkup today…it’s on the house.” Maybe the note would be a bit more urgent, “Are you crazy? You’ve been coasting on fumes far too long. Stop by as soon as possible!” Hmmm…I think I’d like that. It seems to me that we, as God’s kids, already get those little “notes.” It’s easy to miss those maintenance reminders when we’re flying through our days at breakneck speeds, isn’t it? Yep. That’s the case for me, and I’d venture to guess that it’s the same for you.
Stop for a moment and breathe. No, not a teenie little “gotta-keep-breathing-to-keep-going” breath. I’m talking about a good, deep cleansing breath. It’s in these quiet moments that we can sometimes hear the Holy Spirit’s leading more loudly. It would be very easy to race right through December and, thus, through Christmas, wouldn’t it? You and I could even justify our fast pace when we look at our to-do list, couldn’t we? The kids’ concerts, the holiday parties, the big project at work, the anxiety over an impending family gathering…it’s a lot. But when we slow down enough to take a deep breath, I think it’s clear what God’s plan is for us this Christmas. He wants us to savor the moments He places us in. To fully experience where we find ourselves. To dance and sing and smile and laugh. He wants us to grow and be challenged and taste victory. He wants all this and so much more for us this Christmas.
Easier said than done, right? Let’s take a look at a story from the New Testament that rings loudly in my ears, if I have the ears to hear it. It’s the story of the sisters Mary and Martha that we find in Luke 10:38-42. You know it, don’t you? Jesus came to the house of his dear friends Mary and Martha for a visit. Mary stopped and sat and listened to Him. Martha, bless her sweet heart, did not. You see, a guest was in the house, and she had things to do. I bet if an outside observer looked closely into Martha’s eyes, they’d see a squirrely look in them. A crazed “I-have-so-much-to-do-and-not-enough-time-to-do-it!” look. Maybe she was even muttering under her breath about that sister of hers, and how she wished Mary knew all that she did to keep the house running. Perhaps she even slammed a pot or two before she could finally take it no more. She waltzed right out to the front room (with her hands on her hips I’m sure) and declared, “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.” Hold on! Time out! Did she just say that? Yep, she did. And how many times have I done the same? Many. Too many, in fact. Stop and hear…savor…Jesus’ response to Martha. “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it - it’s the main course, and it won’t be taken from her.” Mary was doing the right thing by stopping. By listening. By savoring Jesus’ presence. She was squeezing everything she could out of the moment the Father had placed her in, and Jesus used the teachable moment to give Martha a maintenance reminder.
So, about your December calendar and your Christmas to-do list…let’s treat God’s Word as the maintenance reminder that it is. Do you need to stop by and sit at Jesus’ feet for a while? There’s no better check-up than that. Do you need to stop and re-read the Christmas account in Luke chapter 2 and savor in a fresh way the story of The Word made flesh? How about your family’s schedule over the next couple of weeks? Hmm…
The service team should be done soon with the Jetta, and I will be off to run errands…Christmas ones, in fact. This Christmas, in the midst of all the busy-ness, I want to heed God’s reminders…and take advantage of the carefree maintenance He provides me.
Merry Christmas!
~Deni Sunderly
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