Do It Again!

Finding new joy in familiar seasons of life

Most of us have had the experience of playing with a child, either our own, or a grandchild, or friend’s little one when we might toss them in the air and catch them. This sort of play is exciting for the kid and eventually exhausting for the adult. Each time the toddler might say with enthusiastic laughter, “DO IT AGAIN!!” We keep going until our arms are jelly, and still the child wants to experience the thrill of flying and being safely caught. They could probably enjoy this game long after we’re ready to collapse.

Finding ourselves in the midst of the holiday season can seem like an exhausting, repetitive game. We go through the same basic experience every year. Shopping, decorating, gathering with family, friends, and/or coworkers to celebrate, etc. It can seem like there is not much new around Christmas and yet we come to worship God during this time wanting some stability, familiar songs, the story of the birth of Jesus, and we hope for God to reveal something to us in the moment.

We can return to a child-like joy of expecting God to show Himself to us and share the excitement of seeing Jesus’ birth as something familiar but also engaging, and even unexpected. We wait for God to “do it again!” He never gets tired of connecting with us and being revealed to us in the experience of worship, and in every day situations. We need only be looking for God, open to what God wants to show us. Whether it’s in the still, quiet moments in a church sanctuary as we sing Silent Night, or when we see someone respond to something we have done for them to help them experience the presence of the Lord; ie. a kind word, or caring presence in a time of need.

In any case, we can be like that little kid, asking our Daddy to “Do it again!” and see how the Lord will reveal Himself to us and others now, and throughout the year. We have confidence, and trust that He will do so in His time and in His way.