O Holy Night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine

This morning I’ve been cleaning my upstairs study in preparation for its transformation into a guest room for the grandchildren over Christmas. I don’t know about you, but my desk – and the room in general – tends to slowly build up layer upon layer of debris (true confession) until I am driven to either radically clean or close the door behind me and move to another room.

Well, there is no other space for grandchildren, so clean it had to be. And the result is so good I immediately sat down to work when I was done. I have a lot of writing to do this week and the fairly pristine environment served as an invitation to get it going.

So I poured a fresh coffee, pulled up my chair, slid out the keyboard, and touched the spacebar. Nothing. Nada. Maybe I had turned off my computer while dusting? Power button… wait… scratch head. Zilch. No luck. Diddly-squat. Hmmm…. Crawl under desk. Follow power cord back to plug. Reset the power strip. Nope. Check the fuse. Hit power button. Lather, rinse, repeat. Zip. Zippo. Naught.

Well I can clean my study, I can pledge the wood surfaces, I can rearrange my pencils, I can dust the screen, I can even polish my glasses with that microfiber thingie; but there is no progress, no writing, no web, nothing – without a little power flowing in and through to my desk.

The Power Equation:

I can’t help but think about the power equation when it comes to Christmas. Tree – check. Lights – check. Presents – check. Parties – check. Decorations – check. Plans to attend church Christmas Eve – check. Food – check, check check…

Power? Deepening relationship with God? Fall on our knees before the babe in the hay? Bring everything we have, all that we are, and all that we hope to be to lay at his feet? Check, check, check, check…?

By the way, I found the connection that wasn’t working between the outlet and my computer. It hurt a little, and it was pretty hard to get back up again, but it wasn’t lost on me that I was on my knees.

Merry Christmas, brothers and sisters, friends and family. Take a moment to check on what is powering your celebration. It may not hurt to do it on your knees.

Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born

– DEREK