It really is going to be okay!

Steve Brown December 14th, 2009

I'm writing this from the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in the mountains of North Carolina. I'm at this wonderful conference center teaching two seminars-one for pastors/leaders and the other for "normal" people.

They house the speakers in log cabins (there are three or four of them) up on a mountain overlooking the natural cove while the people who come to the conferences stay at two fairly large and nice hotels. The log cabins are closed except to authorized personnel and are in a very secluded area. This week, in fact, I'm the only one "up on the mountain."

Some of the speakers actually refuse to stay here because of the bears and being so far away from other people. I generally like bears better than people (well, that's not true, just some people), so I'm happy to be here.

At any rate, I saw two reindeer.

Really.

Well, maybe not reindeer, but deer. And since I was thinking about writing this to you for Christmas and because Jesus likes me, they could have been reindeer!

It was early yesterday morning and I went out on the log cabin's porch to smoke my pipe. And there in front of me were these two deer. They didn't run.They just stood there looking at me. Maybe it was because I look sort of like Santa Claus and, as everybody knows, Santa smokes a pipe. Maybe they were confused. It was too early for Christmas, but here I was.

We just stood there quietly looking at one another for a good five to ten minutes.

Then, perhaps because they got bored or didn't like the smell of my pipe tobacco, they just turned and walked off into the forest. As they left, I think I heard one say, "That's not Santa, you dolt! Leave him alone."

(Later, I told a friend about my experience at The Cove with the deer. My friend was surprised and said, "I thought you were going to say that you shot them." I've got to do something about my reputation! In fact, that will be my first New Year's resolution, to wit, getting people to see the warm, fuzzy, loving and nice person I really am.)

All kidding aside, it was one of those rare and profound moments when it's quiet enough "to hear the soft sound of sandaled feet." Time stands still and in that stillness, God comes. In the crispness of the early morning, I had a "God takes care of the lilies and the birds" kind of feeling. It was the quiet recognition that he is in charge, that he loves me and that everything will be okay.

As some of you know, a lot of what I do causes anxiety in me. Actually, most of what I do scares the spit out of me. I worry that I'll screw it up and make a fool of myself. I fear that people will find out I'm not nearly as good or as spiritual nor know as much as they thought. I've been called to speak a biblical message that, for some reason, irritates people and I have this desire to be liked. It goes on and on.

And then there's the economy and how that affects all of us in general and Key Life Network in particular…to say nothing of the world's incredible divisions and hatreds, and the really hard stuff some of the people I love are going through.

But there on that mountain in the quiet and looking at those deer, I knew and was at rest.God came quietly and I realized that he is totally sufficient for every need, he is fond of me and he is "working all things out for good." I remembered what Jesus said, "'Look at the birds of the air [and the deer]: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?…O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious…your heavenly Father knows…But seek first the kingdom of God…'" (Mathew 6:26, 30-33).

A fairly large church here in Orlando asked me to speak for all their combined adult Sunday school classes on the subject of "Surviving Christmas." I accepted the invitation but, as I thought about it, I wondered why they would give me that subject.I would understand if they asked me to speak on something like "Celebrating Christ in Christmas" or "Rejoicing in Christmas," but "surviving" it?

Then I realized that everybody knows I don't like Christmas much. About this time of the year, I start getting irritable, "cuss and spit," and pray that it will just end soon. I complain about Christmas music playing in department stores in November, the twits in the schools trying to celebrate a holiday with no purpose (because they aren't allowed to mention Jesus), and the shallow political correctness preventing me from even saying "Merry Christmas" to certain people.

Vendors, pagans and celebrations don't bother me. I get the need that vendors have to eat and support their families. After all, most of their income is made during the Christmas shopping season. I'm not any pagan's mother…They can worship their stuff if they want to. And I like dinners and parties okay. So it's not all that.

It's just the whole thing. The world is out of sync, the culture is coming unraveled, and people are without meaning and value. They feel hopeless, guilty and unloved. The problem is that the truth of Christmas is the only truth that will make a difference and we've taken that truth and "stomped that sucker flat."

Are we out of our minds?

Yeah, it ticks me off.

Now, don't get upset. I hide it reasonably well for the most part. I'm nice to children, play with kittens, sing carols, eat Christmas cookies, give and receive presents, keep on smiling and…well…uh…I survive.

I suppose my friend who arranged for me to speak for the Sunday school classes wasn't fooled, figuring that if Brown can get through this thing, anybody can. I also suspect that he (and almost everybody else) has some trouble with the Christmas season and thought that I would be the best person to talk about it. Or, at least, talk about it and mention Jesus.

I have an acquaintance whose business is billboards. I've probably told you this before, but it's worth retelling. A number of years ago, he became concerned about Northern Ireland and the Catholic/Protestant hatred there. After praying about it, he bought billboards all over Northern Ireland and put up a message:

I love you! Is that okay? Jesus

I'm going to teach that Sunday school class…but I'm going to surprise them. I'm not going to say what they expect. You see, I've been to the mountain and have a message. It was the message I really needed at the time and the one they will need too… and maybe especially at Christmas.

It's what the incarnation is all about. In Luke 2:10-11, it was first spoken to shepherds who were on their own mountain of sorts. For them it wasn't deer, but sheep. Regardless, the message was the same:

Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Merry Christmas!

Oh, and don't forget the message I got up on the mountain. Some of you are going through hard stuff and it's difficult to find the joy. Remember…

Jesus loves you! He's the King. And it is really going to be okay!

|

This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 1:53 pm and is filed under Anxiety, Billy Graham Training Center, Christmas, Culture, economy, Fear, Gospel, Grace, Jesus, North Carolina, Pain, Religion and Spirituality, Sovereignty of God, Steve Brown, Stress, The Cove. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.