In my young adult years, I worked in a mall during the Christmas season. Besides all of the typical Christmas fare — trees, ornaments, and snowmen, there were mangers, angels, and stars — all the things we think of when we consider the true meaning of Christmas.

That’s where I met Desha, a co-worker. I immediately saw the irony of a Buddhist working in a Christmas store! She was a very sweet young woman, and I enjoyed working with her.

One day she and I were unloading a new box of merchandise, and one of the items was a creche with all the typical pieces of a manger scene. I decided to use this opportunity to see what she knew about Jesus.

As she put the baby Jesus in the middle, in the tiny trough, I asked if she knew who that was. She hesitated and said, “Joseph?” I enjoyed the opportunity to explain to her the various pieces of the scene and the true meaning of Christmas.

I have always hoped that in the midst of the season Desha remembers her encounter with Jesus in the manger.

“While they were there (Bethlehem), the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger . . .” (Luke 2:7)

During the Christmas season, we often see little decorative villages that depict a quaint, small-town scene of Christmastime. Recently, I was in a home that had one. It was a beautiful little town with snow covered houses decorated for Christmas. In the middle of the “town” was a large creche with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus inside. It was huge compared to the tiny village!

It helped me see that the focus of the little village was Jesus and His birth. You couldn’t look at the village without seeing the manger scene.

I know that many of us strive to live with Christ at the center of our lives. So during this Christmas season, may we remember that, as Christians, Jesus is the biggest part of our lives!

Do you remember being in school and hearing the teacher say, “Leave a margin on both sides of the paper!” That’s a concrete way to picture “margins.” Space. It makes writing assignments look neater, and there is room for the teacher to make notes when grading it.

What would a paper look like with no margins? Can you see it? A page full of words, side-to-side. A jumble.

What would your life look like with no margins? In this world, and especially during the holiday season, where “busy-ness” is often commended, we may have little to no room for anything extra.

Will you or I be available if God silently taps us on the shoulder to see a stranger and offer help? Or a neighbor wants to chat a few minutes when they see us going to our car to run errands?

What do life margins look like?

Maybe it looks like being able to walk slowly to and from your car in your driveway or a parking lot. Or not always talking on your phone when driving with kids in your backseat. What about taking time to help someone load groceries in their car and returning the cart for them.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Being available for whatever God might send you and me during the upcoming days can bring unexpected joy to us as we go about our daily schedules.

What kind of margins will you build into your day today?

I drive by a large, stately building now and then. It has always caught my eye because it is so striking and important-looking. I’ve thought it would be an interesting place to visit.

One day I was in the neighborhood and looked ahead to see the beautiful building. But there was something different about it. I realized that the sides of the building were metal. Like a warehouse. What I saw were plain outside walls that looked as if a strong wind might could blow them down!

So from the front I got one impression, and from the side a completely different one. I felt tricked!

Are we sometimes like that? We can easily portray one aspect of ourselves that people see. But could there be another side that may be unattractive and even unreliable?

After getting over my disappointment about the building, I decided that maybe the people who owned it couldn’t afford to make the whole thing beautiful and stately. Their money would only go so far, so they used it on the front, probably thinking that was the most important part.

But which part of the building would be important if a storm with a strong wind came along? To survive it, all the sides of it would have to be reinforced, and not just with metal.

As Christians, we need to be “reinforced” so we will represent Christ all the time! God wants us to be seen as all-around, genuine people who are striving to follow Christ all the time.

What do you “present” when people see you? What if someone saw you when you weren’t expecting them? What “side” of you might they encounter?

The amazing thing is that God, our loving Father, is always available to us and will help us if we ask Him. He promises that.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us . . . ” (2 Corinthians 5:20, NIV)

Emma had money. A lot of money.

It hadn’t always been that way. She hadn’t been born rich. She had earned it.

When she was young, she had imagined what her life would be like as she got older. A loving husband was important to her. They would enjoy being together and eventually have kids. Two or three kids would be perfect!

She met Chad in college, and she felt lucky to be marrying him. He was just what she had always wanted. Handsome, ambitious, loyal, and he loved her very much.

Even though her life was falling into place the way she had dreamed, she felt like something was missing.

After a few years of being married, Emma and Chad decided to start their family. They didn’t have to wait long. A little boy was born to them, and Emma immediately knew he would make her very happy. A couple of years later, they had a girl. She loved being a mom. Her little family was very special to her.

But after a while, it wasn’t enough.

She suddenly began experiencing anxiety. As a result, she couldn’t always enjoy her children because she was worried something would happen to them. Not knowing what was causing the anxiety was frustrating. Her doctor prescribed pills.

The pills weren’t enough.

She and her husband started a business out of their home designing and selling children’s clothing. It had always been her dream to have her own business, and now she had reached that goal. It was thrilling! They were immediately successful and had support from their friends, family, and new customers. And they made lots of money.

But it wasn’t enough.

She and her husband decided they needed a bigger house, since they had a home business and so much space was needed for it. Emma had lots of fun choosing the finishes outside and in. She was happy.

But it wasn’t enough.

So they added a pool. Surely that would satisfy her restlessness. They would have so much fun swimming and playing every day as a family and with friends. And they did.

But, again, it wasn’t enough.

As their business grew, Emma and Chad decided they needed more room. They moved to a neighborhood where they could build a big house, much bigger than their previous one. Again, she enjoyed picking out paint, flooring, cabinets. That kept her busy for a long time.

The children were happy with neighborhood kids all around. And she enjoyed chatting outside with the other moms. She thought she had never been so happy.

But after they got settled, the big, new house, the new neighborhood, and all the money they continued to make wasn’t enough.

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This is a current, true story, with names and details changed. This may be similar to your story now, or in the past, or someone you know. It has probably happened to us all at some point in our lives.

My hope and prayer for Emma and her family goes something like this:

One day as she was driving to the grocery store, she was looking for a radio station. She came across a song that got her attention. A guy was singing a song about his relationship with God.

“Though the earth may try

To satisfy my heart

Though the earth may try

To tell me You’re not faithful

Though the earth may try

To blind me from Your goodness

You shine through.

You’re the only one who

Fills me up

You’re the only one who

Fills me up

You’re the only one.”

(Song by Chris Renzema)

She realized that the void in her life she had tried to fill for so long wouldn’t ever be completely satisfied with earthly possessions and achievements. That more and more money, a big, beautiful house and even her sweet little family wouldn’t be enough.

Emma had money. A lot of money and everything it could buy.

But it was never enough.

GOD WAS.

When I was in my early twenties and had been out of graduate school for a couple of years, I landed my dream job. I was the social worker at a psychiatric hospital for children. I loved it, even though it was sad to see little kids who had been traumatized by bad decisions their parents had made.

About a year into that job, the county decided to change the facility into a 30-day program for suicidal teenagers. Not my dream job! Working in this crisis-oriented program kept the staff on high alert all of the time. Not only were new kids coming in often, the ones who were in the facility were dealing with the trauma that led to them being suicidal. It was rocky, to say the least!

As a young, 24-year old who had not yet learned about the concept of boundaries when working with needy, upset people, I overworked myself to the point of exhaustion. There was so much to be done for these kids!

One day I was observing an art therapy group, and the therapist asked if I wanted to participate in the activity. Always up for new experiences, I said I did. I knew it was a fascinating type of therapy because it helps people deal with their thoughts and feelings.

I sat at a table with five teens. The therapist told us to use the clay she provided to construct something that represented our thoughts/feelings that day. As an example, she had made something that represented her — a beautiful little art pallet, complete with a tiny brush and paints.

I wasn’t an artist like she was, but I thought of a wonderful expression of my life. I made a tree that had branches that reached up as if they exemplified the opportunities I had as a young person in my new adult world. I was excited about the possibilities in front of me, which included my career as a psychiatric social worker with kids.

But there was a problem with my art work. My “tree” wouldn’t stand up. It was flimsy, and the trunk wouldn’t hold the branches straight and high like I intended. When we went around the table and each participant described what they had made, it was fascinating to see what had come from their minds during the exercise. The therapist gave each patient feedback, which was positive and encouraging. She explained to us that learning to express our feelings, instead of keeping them inside, was important.

And then it was my turn. I described my “tree,” which represented my thoughts about the many exciting opportunities I was looking forward to. The therapist was quiet. She made a generally encouraging comment, which I don’t remember now, but it was clear she had more comments she didn’t share.

After the session ended, she wanted to talk to me. She said my “tree” indicated I had no “roots” to hold up the trunk and branches. She was concerned about the lack of stability my piece showed. I agreed that I was feeling tired, fragile, and limp, just as my “tree” illustrated.

The experience was a true awakening. It was a hard way to learn about boundaries and self-care when I was burning the candle at both ends, as they say, and doing it with suicidal, needy, dysfunctional families and teenagers!

Eventually, I dealt with my boundary issues and realized that what I needed was “spiritual roots.” I was attempting to do this job helping people in serious situations with no grounding in my belief in God. I still went to church, but I wasn’t letting the Bible and what I was learning seep down into the core, or “trunk” of my being. As a result, no roots for my life really existed. I was very vulnerable, and I became as needy as my clients.

Through therapy with a Christian counselor, I learned how to stabilize my inner self through developing and deepening my relationship with God. As a result, I could feel my “roots” growing deep and nourishing the “tree” so that it was sturdy, with tall branches reaching to the sky.

That was the beginning of my true, seeking relationship with God, the one who made us and everything we can see! I experienced His love and comfort and have never looked back.

This verse was meaningful to me then and has been since:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Today I went to a memorial service for my good friend, Nancy.

When we first moved to Clearwater for my husband to be a minister at Northwood Presbyterian Church, I began hearing about Nancy Johnson. Eventually I asked someone, “Who is Nancy Johnson?”

“She’s a good friend who moved to Naples to live near her daughter.” I could tell that everyone who knew her was sad she had moved.

Since we live near the ocean, friends from church sometimes have a party on a boat to celebrate their birthday. It could be a couple of hours on a “cruise” with food served or on a pontoon boat that takes the group out to explore a small island.

At one of these parties, someone I hadn’t met sat down next to me. We introduced ourselves to one another, and guess who she was? It was Nancy Johnson!

“Finally! I have heard your name so many times, and I finally get to meet you!” She was surprised to hear that people had mentioned her often and missed her.

She had returned to live in Clearwater, and her friends were thrilled! After a few months, I got to know her, and I knew why people enjoyed her so much! She was delightful — funny, wise, adventurous, and intelligent.

She was 25 years older than me, but that didn’t matter. We enjoyed lunches, movies, book club, and more with friends. She enjoyed deep conversations about anything you wanted to talk about. It didn’t matter if you were on the same side of a discussion, which we sometimes weren’t. We each shared our thoughts and discussed them. Even if we thought the other was out of her mind on something, we left our get-together in good spirits!

We had plans.

With a group of friends we were going to take tap dancing lessons. Weekly, we were going to get together with people and go to movies, plays, dinner. I really miss her.

One thing she was insistent about was that I was going to write a book about my experiences as a home health social worker. Since she had been a nurse for many years, she appreciated my stories. I guess in a way her idea has come to be through this blog.

Today as she was celebrated at her service, this verse came to mind —

“…for we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?”

Nancy’s aroma brought life to those around her. And I am thankful God put her on my path.

Working in rural Mississippi led to some unique experiences, especially for a city girl. Back before the GPS was invented (the dark ages, I know), the nurses at home health agencies wrote out the directions to patients’ homes. It could be an adventure to follow them because sometimes there were no street signs on the country roads.

One day I read the directions to a patient’s house, and it said, “Turn left when you see the Palomino horse.” I didn’t even know what that kind of horse looked like! But after driving down the country road for a while, there was a horse grazing by a barn. Then I knew what a Palomino horse looked like! I wondered what would have happened if the horse had gone behind the barn, but I guess I got lucky.

Later, the same nurse asked me to see someone in a little neighborhood in the country. She said, “There’s no street name or number on the house. (Oh, and they don’t have a phone), but the house is green and on the corner. You can’t miss it.”

As I drove down this street with no name, I saw it. The green house with no number on it. I pulled into the gravel driveway and parked. I went up the front steps and knocked on the door. Nothing. I bent over to peak through the window to see if there were any signs of life. All I could see was furniture and boxes stacked in the room. Determined to find my patient, I went to the back door.

I ventured through weeds to get there. I saw some steps, but they didn’t quite reach the door. After knocking and getting no response, I climbed into the house and went through the unlocked door. I called for the patient, but there was no response. (When there is no response, home health workers sometimes go into the house to be sure the patient isn’t on the floor somewhere in need of help.)

As I wandered through the house, calling for the patient, I suddenly realized no one was home. And it seemed that no one even lived there! I quickly scrambled down the steps and back to my car.

Are you too focused on where you think you should go? Do you ever make an assumption that you are going where God is leading but then get off track by going your own way?

God often leads us step-by-step, but we have to listen and be aware of his presence. Hearing his still, small voice, through prayer/meditation, reading scripture, and seeking wisdom from Christian friends are often ways he leads.

The rest of the story about the green house is that I eventually found the right one. If I had driven further down the street to the one on the corner instead of stopping at the first green house I saw, I would have seen it.

God leads us if we will listen to him.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5)

I love Mexican Petunias. Beautiful purple blooms are produced each day and fall off at night. The next day, there are new ones!  In early spring, I planted some in my flower bed. After a few days, I noticed the plants were withering, and they seemed near death. As I looked at them closely, I realized I had not planted them deeply enough. Some of the roots were even visible!  So I dug them up, made the holes bigger, and replanted them. Within days, they were thriving and had blooms!

Shortly after that, I realized those plants represented me. I had been in the middle of a spiritual drought, and I didn’t know why. Seeing my plants dying helped me realize my spiritual roots weren’t deep enough in the Bible, in talking to God, in thinking about Him throughout my day and in asking for His guidance.

How are your spiritual roots?

Since living in Florida for several years, I’ve had opportunities to see many sunsets. Of course, they are beautiful everywhere, but there’s something special about a beach sunset!

I’ve noticed in Florida that at almost any beach, unless it’s raining, people will be there to watch the sunset. They often take lawn chairs, snacks, drinks and make a real occasion out of it. Boats even position themselves to have a good view. At the end of the sunset, an amazing thing often happens. The crowd applauds!

I wonder if these people realize the gorgeous event is a gift from God? In Romans 1:20, the scripture says, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature– have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that people are without excuse.” Do sunset-watchers see God there?

Recently my husband and I went to Sanibel Island, a few hours south of us. One night we went to the beach to watch the sunset. Many people were dressed very nicely. They had gone to dinner and timed the evening so they would be on the beach in time to watch the sunset.

Despite it being cloudy, which threatened to block the sun, it was very moving to see the number of people who were on the beach. Children ran around playing, live music was in the air from an outdoor restaurant nearby, and viewers talked excitedly. As the sun began to set, all eyes were on it. The beautiful clouds in pastel colors were there, but no sunset was to be seen that night.

The beach-goers were disappointed, but many of them would return the next night. Sunsets are such a gift from God!

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands…” (Psalm 19:1)