The last few days have been a challenge to say the least. In the business world life is determined by deadlines and performance, something often the antithesis of belief and following Christ. Despite my best shot at putting deadlines and “hurry up” on God He moves at his pace. Do I recognize the superiority of His knowledge and wisdom? Of course! Does that make it any easier? Not until you enter that place of peace, relax in His rest and grasp the goodness of God.

The season often feels like a time to “get it all done”. Unfortunately most people need a vacation from Christmas because they put some high expectations on themselves and others. A lot of my friends are going through things. Yesterday as three of us stood outside and watched the rain come down, we all had just decided to take a break. It was a break from the work and despite the cold we took the time to laugh a little.

Today is one of the vacation days I had to use or lose. So, I am home with Tina. Maybe I will grab time with a friend. But a good portion of my day will be sent meditating on the goodness of God and praying for others. I don’t “have” to do anything, but I am blessed that I can and I will enjoy it.

One of the areas being stretched in this season is our thought process and understanding of relationships. Yesterday I was on with a life coach and she had some good things to say. One of the best things she shared was “don’t just hope. Make it work. Make the changes, the adjustments to your holiday that keep you well.”

The Christian world is equally stretched in this season. We see “joy, peace and cheer” and sometimes we just want to cry. People want to hold on to what they want to hold on to just to get by. Sometimes being in relationship hurts when you try to hold on.

I think God set the “stretch” in motion, but many have enunciated it. Have you ever heard the scripture that says, “enlarge your tent”? Who is the tent? Could it possibly be you or I? Or the body? To what end? To MAKE ROOM! For what? More of God? I do not think so. I think the rest of that scripture is that “they” may move around. Make room for others…

Another word we hear in the church is that we are “pregnant” with something. Awesome! Cool! But that “something” is going to need room. More room. How about I see “big things”? Yep…so do I. And they require a stretch or two to work. God is the God of the increase.

Last week a lot of “new folks” showed(Funny, I mistyped that and it originally said “sowed up”…) up in our church fellowship. Two buses full. That meant you may not get to sit where you were sitting. You may have to move. You may have to make room.(I thought how it might have been different had it been on our fellowship meal day…)Stretching is to make room. Making room is not always fun.

I always think it is funny when God begins to answer prayer that the first signs (Despise not small beginnings…)do not look like what we thought nor are we often pleased with the stretching. It moves us. Changes our shape.

Here is a little “hardness”. God is causing you to become uncomfortable to reveal the need to change. If we can not get along with a family member or a friend, How will we be ready for the harvest? Being at odds with someone often reveals the change is coming but has not happened.

Even as I wrote “tis the season to be stretched” I knew that thought process would connote change. When we pray for people, people change. And sometimes that change will affect you. When the prodigal comes home is there room at your table? On your couch? Will you guard the refrigerator or kill the calf? How about when the power goes off and you have the only generator or lights? Their “stuff” now becomes your stuff and ends up in your home.

The baby is coming! But a large harvest means a lot of people being stretched. Capacity to manage becomes a change, a challenge. Fortunately most things in life are first a seed, then a blade, then a stalk… But what about the “wows” or the “nows”? The “bams” or the “whams”? What about the “this is that”?

I love prophecy. I love foretelling. I love change (Mostly when it is not me!)because it means, it is going to get better. Yet I will tell you we can not comprehend. We can feel the pain. The hurt. But joy comes in the morning.

Feeling stretched. It may be because the baby is coming!