Christmas | Real Life on Rocky Top

Day Seven of Christmas

Dec 21 2019

The Gift of Kindness

I finally made it out of the house to do a little Christmas shopping. Let me just say, it is crazy out there right now: traffic in town is hideous, checkout lines are long, inventory has been picked over, and clerks are frazzled. And worst of all, I saw many shoppers just being rude.

One of the shops I often frequent is a children’s clothing outlet where I find great bargains when shopping for my grandchildren. It has been weeks since I have been able to shop, so I went with great anticipation, ready to find some adorable outfits for my grandchildren.

After carefully choosing two outfits for each grandchild, I laid them on the counter for the clerk to ring it up. She politely asked me if I had any coupons and I sighed when I realized I had left them at home. After overhearing this exchange, a lady tapped me on the shoulder and offered: “I have a coupon. Would you like to use it?” I was floored. This lady was a total stranger and she was offering me her 25% off coupon. What an unexpected kindness in my frantic day!

I began to contemplate “kindness”. Ephesians 2:7 says God’s kindness was expressed to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. The very gift that lay in the manger on Christmas was an expression of God’s kindness towards us. According to Galatians 5:22 it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, meaning when I am walking in the power of the Spirit, kindness will flow from me.

After arriving home from shopping, I began to talk to the Lord about “kindness” in my own life. Do I display this fruit of the Spirit? BE KIND has become a slogan of sorts in today’s culture. But for those who call themselves followers of Jesus, kindness should be on display in our lives every day.

These thoughts led me to The Word and I began to research the meaning of kindness. I was more than surprised to see a synonym for kindness is benignity. That got my attention because I am currently recovering from a surgery which removed a baseball sized tumor attached to my ovary. In the operating room, the surgeon said the tumor appeared to be malignant, meaning dangerous, invasive, and cancerous. Yet, when the pathologist studied it under the microscope, the diagnosis was a borderline tumor, some call it low malignancy. The tumor was neither clearly malignant nor clearly benign. The only required treatment was to simply remove the tumor.

God says, “I am the Lord, who exercises kindness…” (Jeremiah 9:24)

There is no borderline with God. His character is kindness. His gift to us this Christmas is not just His kindness toward us, but our own ability to walk in kindness toward others.

I may have had a “borderline tumor” but I do not want to be known as a borderline follower of Christ.

Romans 2:4 also reminded me that it is God’s kindness that draws me to repentance. It’s not his condemnation, not his cruelty, nor His pointing of the finger.

The Lord in His kindness clearly said to me, “Donna, I want to cut out anything in your life that does not allow you to live out kindness toward others. There is no borderline. You are either kind toward others or you are not.”

Do you see evidence of any “borderline” in your own life? This season I hope that you will pray along with me: Lord, fill me with your Spirit as I choose to live out your kindness every day. May the kindness that flows through me draw others to You!

The Sixth Day of Christmas

Dec 20 2019

The Gift of Giving

Wrapping gifts during the Christmas season has always been a fun tradition for me. I usually wait until just a few days before Christmas, crank up my Christmas music, make myself hot chocolate, put on my favorite Christmas pajamas and stay up late until the task is accomplished. Even though we limit gift giving to usually three or four gifts per person, last year I counted that I wrapped over fifty gifts in one night.

Not this year. Still recovering from surgery, I just knew I couldn’t do a marathon gift wrapping session. So I made the decision to just wrap a few every day. I still cranked up the Christmas music and out of necessity am still wearing lots of comfy clothes.

As I slowly wrapped each grandchild’s gift, I thought of the joy I would see on their faces as they would rip through the wrapping paper and discover the treasure Nonna and Papa had picked out just for them.

God whispered into my ear during one of the gift wrapping sessions, “Donna, this is how I feel as you discover more about the greatest gift I have ever given to you, my son, Jesus.”

It was a humbling, awe-filled moment as I realized I have the choice to open gifts from God every day.

After each one of these gift wrapping sessions, Preacher carries all the presents upstairs to put under our Christmas tree. Another normal task that I am just not up to yet. As the tree has begun to be surrounded by all the various gifts, my heart has grown full with the ability to be able to give. God has placed into each of His followers the desire and the ability to give to others. When we are giving we are like the Father.

“For God so loved the world that He gave….” John 3:16

Some gifts may be tangible. Some may be small and some may be large. Other gifts may be an act of service or kindness.

Whatever the size or the type of gift, there is one commonality.

A gift is not a gift unless it costs something. It may be a financial cost or it could be the cost of time.

Gifts that have meant the most to me over the years are gifts that I know were a true sacrifice on the part of the giver. A few months ago, one of our Life Action missionaries gifted Preacher and I with a gift card for a date at a restaurant. I cried. This couple had no business giving us this. In my mind, they could not afford to give this gift. Yet, I received it with gratitude, knowing their love for us. Sacrificial gifts speak of Christ’s love.

As we draw closer to Christmas day, may we all ask the Lord to reveal to our hearts how we may give meaningful gifts to one another, not just trinkets and toys that will fade with time. Gifts that will meet needs and change generations.

What need is God calling you to meet this Christmas?

The Fifth Day of Christmas

Dec 19 2019

The Gift of Interruption

It’s seven days before THE DAY! My mind is making lists of all that still needs to be accomplished before Christmas Day arrives, but my body is still recovering from surgery and telling me to slow down.

This surgery has interrupted the way I typically do life at Christmas — BUSY.

Interruptions are by nature an uninvited guest, especially this time of year.

I like to have my day planned out with a list that I can methodically check off. But the Christmas story is all about the greatest interruption.

The Father interrupted His Son’s comfortable existence and sent Him to earth as a baby. He temporarily left His position next to His father to arrive on Earth as a helpless infant.
Mary’s life was interrupted by the angel Gabriel to receive the astonishing news that she would be with child. She lost her reputation, the excitement of preparing for a traditional Jewish wedding, the trust of her fiancé’ (temporarily), and living a normal life.
Joseph’s life was also interrupted by an angel, confirming that the child Mary was carrying was not his own, but the son of the Most High God. Because he chose not to abandon Mary, Joseph’s reputation suffered. He even lost the right to name his firstborn son after himself, a special honor in his Jewish culture.

Interruptions are often accompanied by loss. It may be as simple as the inability to complete a task or as devastating as the death of a loved one.

When interruptions happen in my life, my response leans toward anger and frustration. As I contemplate the response Jesus, Mary, and Joseph gave to their interrupted life, I am challenged.

Each of them said Yes to having their lives interrupted. Knowing it wouldn’t be easy, they chose to trust God with their interruption because they remembered His faithfulness and chose to trust the Father.

Our lives were interrupted almost three years ago, when the Lord asked us to say Yes to leaving the pastorate, a large salary, and a way of life we had known for over 35 years to join Life Action Ministries. Now we travel all over the United States calling others to give their Yes to God. At times I miss my own bed and seeing my grandchildren as much as I used to. I often wake up not knowing even what state I am in, yet I am blessed to see God healing marriages, families, and changing lives for eternity.

I can almost guarantee you that in the next week, God will attempt to interrupt you. It may be a small child who needs some attention; it may be your spouse who needs to feel prioritized over your daily tasks and wrapping up Christmas. Or it could be someone who has never seen the Christmas story lived out in someone’s life.

God is looking for those who are willing to be interrupted. He is looking for someone to say Yes to Him and no to their typical to-do list. When you’re faced with the interruption, stop and thank the Lord for it as a gift. Watch and see what He will do!

The Third Day of Christmas

Dec 17 2019

His gift: The Word

“And the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” John 1:14

When Jesus was born in the manger, the Word came to live with us. The Word came into the world to sleep in a cold, dirty manger, entering a dark world to mend broken lives. The Word came as a gift to fulfill every promise of a Holy Father, revealing His full message to a lost world.

Up until this point the Jewish people had only known the Word as written laws upon tablets, on scrolls. They could not comprehend that The Word was now living, breathing, and dwelling among them.

The Word comes to you this Christmas season ALIVE! He comes to us in our busyness, our pain, our hurt, our sorrow, and our imperfections.

The Word wants to be a part of our lives.

For years I lived as though God’s word was not living and active. I viewed my time in God’s word as a duty to be fulfilled, an item to simply check off my to-do list, a practice to be maintained as a good Christian, and especially a good pastor’s wife.

An older pastor’s wife, Esther Walker, now in her 80’s, challenged me to go to The Word daily and cry out to God to speak to me. She taught me that when God’s word spoke to me that I was encountering God Himself. She encouraged me to put my name in Bible verses to make it more personable.

As I begin to read God’s word in this manner, my life was truly transformed and soon I found myself longing for these encounters with Jesus.

When I was younger I struggled with an addiction to anger in my life, The Word revealed to me “man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1:20) God showed me that all the yelling and screaming in the world would not make my kids or my husband do the right thing. Through His Word, God healed me of my anger addiction.

Two weeks ago as I lay on a hospital bed in fear, I begin to recite The Word, “Donna, rejoice! Again, I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be made known to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, Donna, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:4-7) My anxious heart became peaceful as I fell asleep under the anesthesia.

The Word is a gift that must be opened. It’s under the tree this Christmas for all of us. We can leave it under there and admire the beautiful wrapping, or we can open this special gift and allow The Word to transform our lives.

My prayer for you this Christmas is you will open this gift. When you do, Jesus –The Word made flesh, will come alive to you!

The First Day of Christmas

Dec 14 2019

It’s 12 days before Christmas and although the traditional Christmas song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, really begins on December 25^th and ends on the eve of January 5^th, I awoke this morning determined to use my time of rest and recovery in a productive way.

I had surgery a little over a week ago. All the reports have returned good and for that I am so very grateful. But, honestly, I haven’t ever been good at resting. Like many, I’ve been brainwashed by American culture that successful people are busy and rest has no purpose.

So now that all the aesthesia and pain reducing medications have exited my body, I want to humbly share with you twelve truths the Lord has been teaching me as a gift for you over the next twelve days. My prayer is that during this busy season you take a few minutes each day to rest and enjoy His gifts.

Love is the first gift!

In the last few months I have literally heard Jesus shout to me through His word, music and the voices of others. “I love you, Donna Avant.”

The song Good Grace by Joel Houston says “So don’t let your heart be troubled; Hold your head up high; Don’t fear no evil; Fix your eyes on this one truth; God is madly in love with you.”

Casting Crown’s Somewhere in Your Silent Night declares “When your pain runs deep, His love runs deeper still; He has always loved you, child and He always will.”

I tend to think that when life becomes difficult, when I am struggling or hurting, that God doesn’t really love me. I might not say it out loud, but my heart is screaming, “God if you loved me, you wouldn’t let this happen to me.”

I grew up believing I needed to earn love from others. If my grades were good, if I looked good, if I performed well, then there would be love waiting for me. Many call this performance-driven love.

However, God’s love is not based on my performance. His word declares His unconditional love for us in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son……..” God, the perfect Father, gave us His son as perfect love in the form of a baby.

We can’t earn it, buy it, perform for it, or look good enough for it. Love is His gift to us.

Take a few minutes today to just ponder that little baby who was born, fully human and yet fully God.

He is love and He is madly in love with you!

Before surgery, I had to remove all my makeup, nail polish, perfume, and deodorant. I had to literally strip myself bare of all that makes me feel more presentable and even somehow more loveable.

As I laid unconscious on that operating table, I believe, no, I know that Jesus looked down at me with such love. He loved me, Donna Avant, even when I was utterly incapable of performing.

And, He loves you! He always has and He always will!

I’m choosing this Christmas to rest in His gift of love.

Will you join me?

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