A pile of empty boxes.

That’s what was visible in our family room around 10 am on Christmas morning.

Thirty days of anticipation and planning had turned into a fever pitch last weekend. All the shopping had been finished, gifts had been wrapped and our annual Christmas cookies had been baked and decorated. We were all ready for Christmas morning.

Within minutes of waking up, however, our gifts were opened. The kids scattered across our home to experiment with new electronics or listen to new music. Hollianne and I collapsed on the couch to watch a marathon of movies (most notably Christmas Vacation…a personal favorite).

And all that remained near the tree was a stack of empty boxes.

The anticipation was gone. The excitement was over.

It was a great reminder about the nature of our lives. This world is not our home. It’s a collection of moments that can leave us empty, hurt and dissatisfied.

This world is not built to last.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 2 Peter 3:10

We are to invest in the eternal. We should spend time with others that push us to be better, more loving people. We need to study and increase our Biblical knowledge and awareness. We should spend time in prayer and meditation- actively communicating with God the Father.

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3: 11-13

We have promises from Jesus that aren’t empty…promises of eternal life, happiness and an audience with God.

Promises that are far better than anything we can experience on this earth.

Please pray for me to invest in relationships and activities that make me a better, more kind person. A person that sees challenges and obstacles as opportunities to grow and serve.

And please let me know how to pray for you!

God bless.