Christmas Is All Around

For those of you who don't know, Love Actually is one of my favorite movies, especially around this time of year. It's a Christmas themed romatic comedy that has a story line for everyone. The other night a couple of friends and I gathered to watch the movie and I swear, it gets me every time. *Tear*

The premise of the movie is that "love actually is all around." It's sweet and may sound a bit cheesy but that's something that's been on my heart lately. Christmas is a time for to share with people you love. And this year, I find myself far away from the familiar "loves" in my life: my family, my friends, my classmates, etc. And that means I have been learning to love long distance. And like all types of love, all of them take work. It means extra phone calls, emails, letters, and little things to keep in touch and let people know that I still care for them even though I can't be with them. And like all long distance relationships, it can be hard sometimes. But you make it work because these relationships are important.

And as I have settled into my new home in Charlotte, I have found that love is all around me here too. I may not have the familiar and comfortable relationships I have had for years back in MN, but I have new friends, family, and community. I have a new family through the church staff that I spend most of my week with. I have new friends through the small group that I help lead of young adults. I have a community through the church that loves and cares for me and works to build me up and help me discover who I am as a pastor.

This season, Advent and Christmas, is really all about love. It all comes down to a God that loved us enough to send his Son, as the ultimate present for us. It's about a God, who loved us first and because of that, we can love and find love in each other. And this Christmas season, I am grateful that love is all around; for the love that is in the families at church that welcome me as one of their own; for the love that is in the friends who allow me to be both their pastor and their friend and confidant; for the love that is in a church that allows me to learn, grow, shine, and screw up; and for the love that is in the friends and family that carried me here through prayer and that still continues to lift me today. Take a look around this season and I'm sure you can find a bit of love in your life as well.