THE CHRISTMAS STALKING—DEVOTION
Are You Too Busy?
Luke 2:10
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Americans are busy!! And we’re even busier at Christmas time. So much to do and so little time to get it all done. In all our busyness of the season, some of us lose the joy that is ours. After all, who has time for joy?
That’s sad, but what’s even more sad is when we make busyness a lifestyle and live an unjoyful life because of it. I’m not sure unjoyful is a word, but it makes my point. God sent his only begotten son to us. Not so we can be busy but so we can have the peace and joy of HIS kingdom.
In my new novella, THE CHRISTMAS STALKING, Destiny has it all—money, fame, and beauty. And yet she’s not happy. In her busyness to become “a star” she’s not left room in her schedule or her life for God.
In an effort to elude a stalker, she escapes to upstate New York where she spent summers as a child. It’s only when she isolates herself from all the craziness and busyness of her celebrity lifestyle that she’s able to realize that she’s not happy and that something’s missing from her life. Of course, being terrorized and stalked doesn’t help matters.
There comes a moment when she must choose between her busyness and God. Here’s Destiny’s moment (Her given name is Holly).
Robby opened the car door, and Holly stepped out in front of a little white chapel, its front door decorated with pine boughs and pretty, silk red and white poinsettias. She stood staring at the church, not moving.
This was the church she’d been baptized in on a hot summer day long ago. She’d not stepped inside a church for a long time—too long. Guilt wrapped around her heart.
“You OK?‛
She nodded, not sure if her voice would work.
“Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”
Robby held on to her arm as he led her up the steps.Thankfully so, because Holly wasn’t quite sure she wanted to visit her past. She took a deep breath and nodded as they stepped inside. Her step faltered. She could almost hear God saying, Welcome back, My child.
A long time had passed since God spoke to her.
Once they were seated, Robby pulled out his mobile phone and frowned at the text message written there. ‚I’ll be back in a moment,‛ he whispered.
She was alone with her thoughts and her guilt—and with God. She stared at the old wooden cross at the front of the church. Her eyes filled with tears and she knew something was happening deep inside. She had a choice to listen to that still, quiet Voice. Or ignore it.
And each of us has that same moment. In fact, we have that moment every day, but even more so during the Christmas holidays. Shall we focus on the Good News that brings great joy or shall we choose the busyness?
Lillian Duncan writes stories of faith mingled with murder & mayhem. She writes the type of books she loves to read—suspense with a touch of romance. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.
To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: www.lillianduncan.net. She also has a devotional blog at: www.PowerUpWithGod.com
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