While watching Polar Express last night, I remembered a church play my daughters were in. In Polar Express a child gets the first gift of Christmas, it is a bell, but you can only hear it if you believe. He lost his bell only to come home and find it wrapped and in under the tree. He and his sister could hear the bell ring, but their parents couldn't hear, for they didn't believe. He went on to share that after years he remembers when his sister could no longer hear, but he always could because he never stopped believing. In the Christmas play, my daughter played a bell, the only thing was, her bell didn't ring like all the other bells. See the other bells believed and she had not believed yet, so as the other bells were ringing, not a sound came from her bell, that was until she believed, then her bell never stopped ringing. Is your bell ringing? Have you lost your bell? Can you hear the beautiful sound any longer? I have to say, there are those days where my bell is not ringing as it should, if it is the sound is so faint, no one can hear it, not even me. For my bell to ring, Jesus has to be in my heart, living, and moving through me. For others to hear my bell, I must believe, my heart must be right with the Lord. I want to make beautiful music for the Lord, and I want my bell to ring everyday, never stopping, always giving Him praise with the sound of my voice, with actions that make my bell ring just for Him. When our bells are ringing loudly, others can hear Jesus through our ring. He gave each of us our own special ring, our own special way to shine for His glory. When we accept the Lord in our heart, when we choose to live for Him, when we give our lives to Him, our bell will ring like never before, and we will hear that ring, that little jingle jangle. My children are no longer in Christmas plays, but I can remember each and everyone, I can hear their voices singing, I see the smiles on their faces, and the laughter as they give their best. Today in our Christmas play there was a little one who reminds me of my little one of years ago, only she wasn't a bell today, she was a star, and did she ever shine. I want to shine with the love of Jesus. As children put on plays with such joy, why can't we as adults live out that same joy, letting our bells ring, finding our ring, and sounding loudly for the Lord? Have we lost something? When Jesus says come to Him as little children, I see why. They are full of joy, they have giving hearts, and are so full of love with nothing standing in their way. Too often we are the ones standing in the way of having a wonderful relationship with Christ. We need to move, go to Him as His children, humbly before Him, and give Him all we have. So this season may your bell ring, may we learn to ring our bell and never let it be still without sound~ Lord, thank you for reminding me just how beautiful a bell sounds. Thank you for giving me my own ring, a ring to show all just who You are, and may I never stop ringing it for You.
"The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad." Psalm 97:1
"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day." Psalm 96:1-2
