December 18 - Advent Activity

Go caroling or be caroled to (Mutual activity - Church).

Jenna and Julia's church group combined with the Young Men tonight to go caroling. I was called ahead of time for our family to be a part of it. We were asked to "turn the carolers away"...

John and I had fun trying to think of what we would say (or he, I couldn't bring myself to be "too busy" to the youth I taught and went to camp with).

Our ideas:
We could load the entire family in the van and wait. When the carolers arrive the driver would run out of the house in a hurry saying we were late for a movie and then we would drive off leaving them at the front door.

Open the door and say he (John) was on a conference call and couldn't listen.

Open the door in a robe and say he was sick with the flu.

It was 7:45 and we heard some loud noises at the front door. John went to the door and the youth started belting "Deck the Halls"...

John smiled and said, "My eBay auction is about to end. I'm sorry I can't listen." He took the gift they offered and shut the door.

We later heard that the kids were baffled. One youth asked, he has to feed his oxen? (He must have heard the word auction wrong). The adults all loved John's excuse to not listen.

The youth headed back to the Bishop's house for a really neat fireside on "Making Room in Your Life for Christ" (these youth leaders are amazing!) We were turning the youth away to set the mood of how Mary and Joseph might have felt that night when our Lord was born in the most humble circumstances.

It does make me stop and think. Are we too busy? What interferrence do I have in my life to prevent Christ in my life? Do I forgive? Do I repent? Do I serve? Do I love unconditionally?