I had plans. Big plans. It is Christmas after all. I certainly want to be at everything in my local church over this special season. I love the carols, watching the children's faces, sensing the sacred atmosphere, and speaking about the real meaning of Christmas from the pulpit. But, then came that dreaded four letter word. I was sitting in the doctor's surgery with my wife Diane there as witness. 'Rest' the GP said, 'do nothing at all'. 'What?' I replied shocked, 'you have got to be kidding me'. Her stern but caring look said it all. No kidding! My heart is struggling. 'Cascade angina' she opined. 'I want you to have your feet up watching Strictly Come Dancing'. My goodness, I would have to be ill to do that!
It's not just that I have had so much care and attention paid to my physical recovery from 22 years of agony that if I keel over this Christmas, would all be wasted. Nor is it just that I love my family so much that I owe it to them not to drive myself to an early grave. I think that God is trying tell me something about learning to lean on Him and enter into a rest which is important for us all. It may be inconvenient, but it is no less significant.
Learning to rest in God and the work of Jesus on our behalf is a key Christian virtue. In the book of Hebrews we read "The promise of “arrival” and “rest” is still there for God’s people. God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we’ll surely rest with God. So let’s keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience." (Heb. 4:11 The Message) So, I want to obey and learn to rest.
I think God can 'do' Christmas without my help. With tongue in cheek I recall the line from Monty Python's film 'Life of Brian' which so shocked the Christian world in the late 1970's. "No, he's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy". Perhaps I need to deal with my messianic complex myself - the desire to always 'be there' for others.
