Cup of Christmas: Because He Says So

Hello friend, and welcome back to Strengthen Your Walk. I’m Kim Crabill. Please grab your coffee or tea and let’s sit for just a minute. Join me for today’s “Cup of Christmas.” It’s our special time to stop, be still, and prepare ourselves for what God has for us to do this day.

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Yesterday I told you the story of the long-distance swimmer Florence Chadwick. With a goal to swim between the California coastline and the Catalina Islands, she chose to give up before completing that goal. Remember fog settled in around her, fatigue grew within her and even family members from the boat following encouraged her to give up. Once in the boat, Chadwick sadly realized she was only one mile from finishing her 26-mile challenge.

Irish poet John O’Donohue writes, “If you have ever had an occasion to be out early in the morning before the dawn breaks, you will have noticed that the darkest time of night is immediately before the dawn.” If only Chadwick had paddled through she would have realized the fog would eventually give away to clarity and she would’ve been invigorated by what she couldn’t see happening in her struggle.

It’s so easy to give up when we can’t see tangible results. It’s easy to grow weary. But let me tell you the rest of Florence Chadwick’s story. Two months after her failed attempt, she tried to swim once more. And once again, the thick fog set in. But this time, she had a mental image of the shoreline in her mind and she pushed beyond herself. Not only did she succeed, but Chadwick ended up making the swim an additional two times. And just so we all know, Chadwick also became the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions.

Christmas is busy. We find ourselves in uncharted territory. Sometimes feeling like we’re swimming among sharks. And we all know that mental and sometimes spiritual fog can settle in and around us. While we are doing so much, there’s no way to see what’s going on in the hearts around us.

And it’s easy to want to just give up, to give into the discouragement and exhaustion. But there’s something God has put on your heart this year. And maybe last week or yesterday, maybe as the fog settled perhaps you lost hope. It’s okay. But here’s the question, what’s next? Is God asking you to give up, walk away or try again?

I recall Jesus asking Peter in the gospel of Luke to try one more time. Peter, the skilled fisherman, all that he was had failed miserably at fishing. Exhausted he was bringing in all the fishing gear when Jesus asked him to go back one more time. Peter’s six-word response is one that we can all ponder today ourselves. Let’s consider one more time. Peter’s six-word response to Jesus in Luke 5:5 is, “Because you said so I will.” Only because Jesus had asked. Don’t you love that so much?

Friend, what God is asking of you this Christmas is too important. It’s about someone who needs someone, who will not give up on them. We have a great promise in Galatians 6:9. Use it when it’s still dark, when the fog is thick. Let these words be your shoreline imagery today. It says, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap the harvest.”

That means we will have our prayers answered. We will have that hope. “… If we do not give up.” Quitting was not the end of Florence Chadwick’s story, not the end of Peter’s story. And neither should it be the end of our story. Let’s pray.

Father, when we grow weary of serving others help us to not give up. Remind us to follow Peter’s example to keep going because You said so. Thank You for showing us the way through our fog to Your light.

Friends, thank you again for joining me. I pray our time will strengthen your walk during this Christmas season.

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