“Visions of Sugar Plums… Dancing”

I am not real sure what kind of “Sugar Plum” dances, but I am sure there is some stuff you can take (or drink) to make that happen.

I am not recommending  any of those things…

No not at all…

but I am saying, the phrase “sugar plums danced in their heads” (if we are honest) is weird

and the thing that is weirder to me about it is : we all get a “warm fussy” when we read it.

Ladies say – Ohhhh, how sweet….

while men gag.

Visions of Sugar Plums… Dancing.

Sounds happy, nice and easy.

If only visions were that easy to accomplish.

Most of us have this idea that if God gives you a vision for something He wants you to do, everything will fall into place, every door you need to go through will open, and you will walk with ease down the pathway God has called you to take, surrounded by blessings you can’t count, with “Sugar Plum” happiness in your heart.

Yes… we dream of “Sugar Plums” doing the gig.

In fact, if anything goes wrong, if anything challenges the thing we feel God has called us to, we begin to question if we were clear on His vision.

We begin saying things like…

“Well, God closed that door.”

“Well” this opposition must mean either God has changed his mind or I missed what he was trying to say and went the wrong way.

We think… “Things are not falling into place so I must be going in the wrong direction.”

This is where our excitement for the task wains and the “Sugar Plums” start Crying

What if Mary and Joseph had approached following God that way?

When Mary was first told she would give birth to the Christ child, I am sure it was a “Sugar Plum” happy moment.

But it didn’t last.

She had to tell Joseph – that was hard.  Ended well, but was hard.

As a couple they became outcast… she was pregnant out of “wedlock”

They had to take a trip in her final days of pregnancy… a long trip (any trip on a donkey when you are pregnant is a long one)

and when they reached the town they were going to stay in…

there was no room available…

no room.

only a stable.

This was enough hardship to send the average person into “Sugar Plum” Depression. (SPD)

But they kept faithfully moving toward the goal, believing, and dealing with the obstacles that came their way

and soon…

the vision God had given to them was accomplished…

it was “delivered”

and so were they.