Rear View Mirror

Many of you are aware that during my career in nursing I was a third shift worker. Winters meant driving to work in the dark and coming home in the dark hours. One particular night however on my drive into work, my life was changed.

Christmas would soon be upon us yet again. The neighbors had their outdoor Christmas lights hung. A beautiful layer of new fallen snow was on the ground. The radio was playing Christmas music 24/7. For the most part my 25 minute drive into work was uneventful. However I soon found my thoughts and energy would be changed forever!

As I drove down one of the country roads to work, I noticed a farm had decorated their trees and front bushes with Christmas lights. I thought to myself, “How pretty”. A quick glance in my rear view mirror had me mesmerized momentarily. On the side of the home I had been admiring was a full two story cross shaped out of white Christmas lights! Awestruck I was faced with this reminder of what Christmas was really about. I had almost missed it….

The catchy jingles, the lights, the gifts….all came sharply into view. Why did I have to look behind me to see clearly Christ’s birth, crucifixion, and resurrection? Why did Christ’s demonstration of love have to be in my rear view mirror? I would have missed this powerful reminder if I didn’t look behind me.

Being raised in a Christian home had taught me that I should always look to Christ for direction, answers to life problems and fellowship with my unchangeable God. Proverbs 4:25 tells us, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you”. Nowhere does the bible say to look behind me, peek around the corner, glance casually towards the Lord! The Word tells us to fix our gaze directly before us! Fix our gaze…..Wow, what has my gaze been fixed on in life? As of late, my gaze had been fixed on my life, my problems, my own gains. My focus was on raising my children, making a living financially to support them and what can I buy them for Christmas!? My gaze was all wrong!

As the Christmas season is upon us once again, what is your gaze fixed upon? As the cliche says, “Jesus is the reason for the season!” If that is truly the case, we should be focused on the ‘things’ that Christ is focused on: love, hope, joy, servant-hood, humility, kindness, generosity and empathy. Of course, there are many other aspects that Christ wants our focus on, but the primary one is that we focus on HIM and all other things will be displayed in this one simple act of devotion.

We should always have our gaze fixed on our Lord, not just at Christmas time but everyday! This year especially has been wrought with anxieties, fear and hostilities. Is this a life focused on Christ? The answer is a simple “No”. Have we remembered those who have suffered loss of loved ones, those who are lonely, those who are anxious, those who are questioning their role in life? I want to always be a reminder to others that through their hurting they can find peace, comfort and love in Christ. Not just at Christmas time but throughout daily life. We have the ultimate gift from our loving Father in his son Jesus Christ. No earthly gift can ever compare to the gift of eternity with Jesus. No greater gift can you give to those you love and to those whom you’ve yet to know! He is truly the only gift that is ‘one size fits all’.

My desire and prayer for all of you reading this is that your focus will be fixed on Him. Don’t look behind you to see Christ. Look ahead and your vision will be clear. I hope that this season with family and loved ones will be filled with joy and loving memories of how your gaze was changed and focused on Christ going forward.