RED CARPET READY

It’s A Date!

BY DEANN ALAINE

Calendars are a funny thing. A record of time. They include what we hold dear. Although, do we really need New Year’s Day marked on a calendar? There are calendars for work and calendars for special events; calendars printed on paper and some that are digital. Some people use calendars as countdowns —like how many days ‘til Christmas.

Memories are inspired by certain dates. For my 6th birthday, a girl gave me a plant. A plant! I don’t know any 6-year-old with a green thumb. I still don’t have a green thumb. One year for Christmas I received a gift and didn’t know what it was. It was sweater-like material with an opening at the top and bottom, but it was too small to be a full sweater, and there were two. So I put them on my arms and ran around like a clown. Not much has changed since then. The gift was leg warmers! It was 1982. Those gifts were prompted by specific dates, and those dates carry a memory for me.

How much power do we give a date on the calendar? For some, a first wedding anniversary should be a heavyweight date; while celebrating a 6th anniversary, not so much. But what makes the difference?

Ahhhh, our emotions make the difference!

Now we are nearing Christmas, and oh my goodness, there are a myriad of emotions that are uprooted during this time. Kids are typically excited because they get out of school. Parents can be stressed because the kids are out of school! Young adults may worry because they’re bringing “someone” home for the holiday and don’t know how their parents are going to deal! While other young adults face the holiday without having someone to share it with. Some people really struggle because it reminds them of a time that was shared with a spouse or friend that has passed. Others may be thrilled they don’t have to deal with irrational people who prescribe imaginary, unrealistic expectations on others…like Clark from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation! No cats eating Christmas tree lights this year! WooHoooo!!!

I used to set myself up for great defeat when faced with a date! I would let my emotions take me away, believing a specific date was so important.

I would attach unreasonable thoughts and emotions that would exalt themselves above who Jesus is. Hmmm, why do I think that sounds like something I’ve read? Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV). Often, that verse is associated with lust, even though the entire chapter is about authority. But this one verse has so much packed into it!

During special holidays, do I allow my imagination to run wild? Do I set my emotions on a crash course to Depressionville or Anxietyville?

Then Jesus called me to the Red Carpet. I had to repent! I used a date to justify manipulating people around me. I was not giving His Holy Spirit the authority to guide my emotions the way they needed to go! I would tell myself, “This is the day that the Lord has made, but it’s still Christmas.” Then, I would do whatever I wanted on that date. I should have given the Lord space by asking, “How do You want today to go?” I usually start each day asking for His direction! Why should a holiday be any different? I was not practicing Philippians 4:7, And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (KJV). I didn’t want Him to keep me! I wanted my own way.

Now I look back at that Christmas in 1982, and I’m wondering, did my mom freak out? Were her emotions running amuck? I hope she wasn’t thinking, “I have to find Peanut leg warmers. I just have to find them! If I don’t find them, her Christmas is going to be ruined!” I’m laughing so hard right now! Or the absurdity of her calling out to the Lord, saying, “God, please help me to find those jelly shoes and that Cabbage Patch doll!” NO WAY! That’s irrational since we lived in a single-wide trailer!

I would hate if the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was reduced to crazy emotions, only to find something that would end up in a landfill! Dates are a good thing, and remembering is a good thing; it’s even biblical! But not if the cost includes taking our eyes off Jesus for a day to have our own way. It is dangerous—YES, DANGEROUS!—to set up emotional traps. Being constantly disappointed may lead to depression. And there are plenty of studies that show chronic mental and emotional stress may manifest physically. So be honest. Are there dates holding you captive? Are you holding others emotionally captive because of how you think a date needs to be facilitated? In Jesus’ name, let go. In Jesus’ name, let yourself and others off the hook. Ask the Lord how He wants your special date to go, and then yield to what plans He may have in mind that you wouldn’t have even thought of yourself! After all, His ways are higher than our own. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD (Isaiah 55:8 NIV). That verse applies to holidays, family reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, and yes, even National Donut Day on June 7th.

Since that specific day of repentance, the dates my family and I celebrate are ones the Lord made a priority. And they’re almost never on the American calendar. We celebrate when our mind changes about something, and the Lord is glorified! Y’all need to know I will make homemade chocolate pudding on the stove when we hear His voice! That probably explains why my jeans are a bit snug. We will have a literal carpet party after I finish writing an article for Voice of Truth! We love celebrating all the right things. There’s ZERO guilt, and it puts an emphasis on our daily spiritual health rather than on a date because “everyone else is doing it.” With our changed eyesight, we celebrate all of the time (within our budget)!

Now roll out that red carpet and celebrate God’s way!

Love y’all,
DeAnn Alaine

DeAnn Alaine is a comedienne whose mandate from the Lord is to bring joy to the world! She is a published author/ cowriter in Miracle Mindset: Finding Hope In The Chaos. DeAnn is the CEO of ComeeDeAnn Productions LLC and the creator/director of Fade Away, a work-place comedy about the best 3rd rate funeral home! Check out Fade Away’s cast and preview at www.deannalaine.com today! Need a comedienne for your next date? You can book DeAnn from her website or email deannalaine@outlook.com.