When life feels overwhelming, do you ever want to take a mental vacation and go to a “happy place” for just a bit?
I do.
My dominant right arm has been in a sling following shoulder surgery, so I’m doing life as a left-handed klutz … and often not doing it very well.
“Spaz” is the word that comes to mind, although I’m pretty sure it’s politically incorrect to use that word these days. But if you saw me typing one-handed, spreading peanut butter on a piece of bread, or attempting any one of a hundred other daily tasks, you’d agree—I’m a spaz.
On one recent afternoon, my klutziness peaked when, in less than an hour, I managed to knock over a big glass of water, drop my iPhone in the toilet, and dump a bag of rice in my lap.
(I was using the rice to try to save my phone. Google “fix wet iPhone” and you’ll understand. Also, please note that the water in the toilet was clean, or as clean as potty-water can be. A small, but significant detail.)
I know I shouldn’t complain about my post-surgical challenges. It’s hard to pull off a convincing whine when I’m surrounded by so many blessings.
But on that day when my shoulder hurt like crazy and I had to fish my phone out of the toilet and clean up all that spilled water and rice, I served up a pretty good whine.
And after all that, I was ready for some kind of happy diversion.
So what did I do?
It may not sound very spiritual, but I crawled into my recliner, turned on my recording of Auburn’s recent, epic football victory over Alabama, and relived the most exhilarating, bizarre, and fun football game I’ve ever seen.
That was my happy place for a few hours on that frustrating day.
Later on, I thought about how that’s essentially what Christmas is about—a “happy place” on our calendar, a reminder to ponder and rejoice in God’s victory over evil and death.
In a world in which it sometimes appears evil is winning, we need those reminders.
If we dig down through all the holiday hoopla, Christmas is essentially a time to revel in the incomprehensible love and genius of God’s plan to redeem, rescue and restore us.
It’s a time to regain perspective and remember that God is in control and in the end, He wins. Regardless of how things may look right now, in the end, God wins.
Throughout the Bible, God often tells His followers to pause and remember His past demonstrations of faithfulness, power and love. There’s no better way to recharge our faith batteries.
“I bring you good news of great joy,” the angel told the shepherds on that first Christmas. “… There has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
That good news is just as joyful today as it was on that first Christmas.
God continues to offer to us the gift of salvation through the Son He sent 2,000 years ago. But Christmas can really only matter to us personally if we personally receive that gift. That’s always been the point.
In the end, God wins, and He is graciously inviting us to win with Him.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
God offers us the happiest of happy places, right up close to His perfect heart.
Let’s go there.