Last month I attended a gathering filled with women who had all participated in an interactive Bible study on Esther. The pastor had a message she wanted to share that went along with Esther’s story. It was an inspiring event and it ended with a time of prayer.

A woman placed her hand on my shoulder to pray and waited. Then she looked me in the eye. Here is what she said.

“Pockets of time are precious to Him. Stop the responsibilities.  Stop.  Just stop and enjoy pockets of time.”

You can doubt, but I assure you, she prayerfully had my number. I’d been running from one thing to the next, drained of energy. Low on intimacy with Him. And simply wore out.

That was before the Christmas season began. Since then there has been travel, sickness, ministry commitments, solo parenting while my husband traveled for work, Christmas concerts, shopping, wrapping, and walking our teen through what we believe will be a victory in his life.

Stop? How is that even possible?

I think the woman’s words hold insight.

Pockets of time.

If you’re like me, I get caught up in an all or nothing mentality.  And if I can’t give all, well, I give nothing.

And that’s not what the Lord is asking of us.

Years ago a homeschooling mom lamented how she had so little to give to Him. A few minutes of praise in the shower. Some prayer times while driving. And as she explained, the picture I had in my mind was the woman with the coin. To the world, that offering meant little. To God, it meant everything. She gave what she could.

This season, would you remember with me what God is asking? Stop. Pockets of time are precious to Him.

He’s not asking most of us for hours on our knees. Pockets of time. We can do that.

Here is a few minutes where I stopped last week and was caught up in the simplicity of the season. The reason. The love wrapped in swaddling clothes. For me. For you.

Enjoy this pocket of time with Christ the King.

Merry Christmas!