(Re)Thinking Christmas: Decorations – Fill ‘er Up!

My new neighborhood is lined with awesome Christmas decorations.

Spotlights illuminate wreaths hanging in the windows.
Greenery drapes elegantly around door posts & banisters.
Twinkly lights outline the silhouettes of trees.

It’s lovely.

But just as you start to sing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” you round the corner and run smack into an inflatable Nascar Santa complete with elves as the pit crew.

Classy.

I know. I know.
I don’t have kids.
I don’t understand.

And you’re right. I don’t.

When did it become OK to inflate something just because you can?

But what could be worse than Talladega Nights in the subdivision? The next day when Santa and the elves are in pitiful puddles of nylon on the grass. Can we not keep them inflated 24/7 to avoid this tragic scene?

These were just some of the thoughts bouncing around in my head as I pondered the novelty of blow-up Santas on my way to work one morning.

Then, God – whose timing is always perfect – took the opportunity to teach me a spiritual lesson about the Holy Spirit.

Did you know that the original Greek word in the New Testament used for the Holy Spirit is “breath?” And what is breath but air taken into the lungs?

Interesting…

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you (Romans 8:11).

Nascar Santa needs to be continually filled with air to come to life just as I need the Holy Spirit to continually fill me up so that I can live the life he has called me to live. It’s a continual process. I cannot unplug from God even for a moment. If I unplug, I end up in a pitiful puddle on the ground just like Santa and his pit crew.

I don’t know about you, but I will never look at Nascar Santa the same again.

What’s the weirdest thing God has used to teach you a spiritual lesson?  Did you ever think you would read about Nascar, Santa, Jesus and Greek words in the same blog post?