The worries and cares of this world.

Man, oh man! What a time it has been here lately. SO much is going on. I can't remember if I've posted this here or not but I know I have been saying it to those whom I have talked with the last while - I have never known a time of this kind of busyness. It's like I have no time to relax at home, no time for anything. I'm not sure if this has something to do with my sitting on my butt for two months in Calgary taking a break from life waiting for our house to sell or not. I tell ya, things are really hectic here.

I have been working and training at my new position and it's a huge learning curve. Lots to know. Procedure's, computer menu's, protocol's, forms and the why's and how's of all of it and more. It has been at the forefront of my mind. I've been thinking about it at night, dreaming about it and waking up early, EARLY in the morning with this stuff on my mind. It's crazy!

Today it hit me. Christmas is almost two weeks away. The time of year when the world celebrates the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ. How much has this been on my mind? Not the buying gifts and all that stuff associated with Christmas but the actual pondering and thinking and meditating on the gift of God to man - His Son. I'll tell you how much. Zero. I mean it. Zero. Zilch. Nada. I have been so wrapped up in the goings on of life here that Jesus Christ is far, far away from my thoughts. Sure, I pray and talk with Him. But reading His Word and being fed by His Word and just enjoying Him...nuh-uh. I could come up with a zillion excuses for my not doing this but in the end it adds up to the same - I have wandered away from Him. That sheep that has left the fold and gotten lost.

I can relate to that sheep. Just moving along from one place to the next until all of a sudden it looks up and...what the heck? I'm lost. What have I been doing? In focusing on the world around me I have lost sight of the Shepherd. Where is He? Where did He go? Why do I keep getting myself lost? What gets me is the next part in this parable. The Shepherd LEAVES the 99 sheep who are not lost and goes after the one that is. He's actually searching intently for that one that wandered away. He's actually looking...for me. Me, who wandered away. Me, the one who left. Me

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on
whom his favor rests."