A Heart That Seeks His Face This Christmas

When a baby is born, we all want to see that precious little face. We want to oooh and aaah over the cute little nose and eyes and lips. I must have spent hours staring into the face of my firstborn those first few months. Just taking in every single detail of her sweet little face. And feeling completely in awe of the gift I had been given. The pace of everyday life was still fairly slow. There were no other siblings to be chasing or getting sippy cups for or taking to the bathroom. It was just me and her during the day. I had no idea how special that was.

With the second-born, there was less time. And with the third-born, even less. I stole sweet moments here and there of course, but I am quite sure I didn’t spend hours at a time staring into their beautiful baby faces. It wasn’t because I loved or adored them any less, but because life happened. I hadn’t lost the awe I felt in knowing the miraculous gift my husband and I had been given, but there were other needs that took precedence over sitting and staring into the face of my newest little one. Bottoms to be wiped, meals to be cooked, laundry to be washed. Life.

And the urgency of life continues.

But as Christmas is approaching this year, I can’t help but think of Mary. When she saw her newborn baby, those thousands of years ago, I have to wonder what she did. My guess is that she looked right into his perfect little face and held his gaze as long as she could. I can just see her memorizing every line with awe and amazement, not only at her first-born child but at her Savior. And it makes me long for that time with Him again myself.

For many of us, Jesus is our first true love. When He first saved us, we felt His gaze and stared into His face like there was no tomorrow. We sought Him out and took time to just be still with Him.

But life happened. A husband, children, job, and even church commitments may have taken the place of the time spent seeking His face. Instead, we throw Him a quick glance every now and then to make sure He’s still there. It isn’t because we love or adore Him any less, but we have allowed the temporal to take precedence over the eternal.

Satisfying Our Heart’s Desire

I know I have on many days. But I can feel my soul craving Him. Wanting to spend time with Him. Telling me to put down the stuff of the here and now for a bit and just seek. His face. I have a choice to make. And you do too.

This Christmas, let’s return to our true love. When you feel your heart craving time with Him, but there is shopping to do. When you hear Him calling, but there are parties to plan. Choose to go. Choose to obey. Choose Him. And savor the moments you have with Him, no matter how small.

This Christmas let this be our cry:
“My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
Psalm 27:8

Maggie Meadows Cooper

Blogs at Beautiful in Your Heart

Maggie Meadows Cooper is a wife, mother, educator, and blogger with a longing for women to grow a heart for Jesus and others. She is the author of the children’s book Bumper, helping others to see that the heart is what counts most. She blogs at The Little Moments and contributes to IBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women, Devotional Diva, and the Connecting Ministries Blog. ! She lives with her husband, three children, and two rambunctious dogs in Opelika, Alabama.