By Amy Shirley
“…I count my blessings instead of sheep. And I fall asleep counting my blessings.”
— Count Your Blessings, White Christmas,
Irving Berlin, 1954
It is an Oscar-nominated song from one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time, White Christmas. In the movie, Rosemary Clooney’s character is worried about everything under the sun and as a result, she can’t sleep. Bing Crosby’s character, suggests that instead of thinking about the things that trouble her that she think about all the blessings that she has instead.
In a way, this reminds me of the story of Mary and Martha when Jesus came to visit. Stay with me here, Martha was busy thinking about all the things that had to be done and busily worked in the kitchen. Mary recognized the blessing of having Jesus in her home and took the opportunity to sit at his feet and listen to him. She let the world fade away, and the only thing that she was focused on was Him. Maybe you are saying, “Hey, wait a minute, there are things that need to get done during the holidays. Are you suggesting that we just ignore responsibilities?” Well, yes and no. No, I am not suggesting that you completely ignore responsibilities and things that have to get done. But yes, I am suggesting that it may be appropriate from time to time to stop the rushing and rest.
With all of the Christmas cards, holiday parties, and gifts to buy, have you found yourself running on empty or feeling that you are missing the blessing of the holiday season? Do you get lost in the busy nature of the Christmas season or really just life in general, forgetting that we can and need to come and rest at the feet of Jesus? I know I often do. When was the last time you stopped what you were doing in the midst of stress and worries and sought rest in Him? Are you Mary, Martha, or somewhere in between?
Can I encourage you to try today, even just for a few minutes, to stop, let the worries of the day fade, and meet with Jesus? We’ll do it together. Whether sleep is evading you or not, if you stop and spend time dwelling on the Lord and His great love for us, it will be a blessing at any time of year but especially in the busy holiday season.
Psalm 21, Psalm 94, Proverbs 12:25, Ephesians 1
