I know what you are thinking—Yes, Christmas has been over for awhile already. All the decorations are packed away till next year, but what if I tell you “The Real Work of Christmas is just beginning”…

We are all called by God. But what is God calling us to do, what is he calling us to look for, are we looking for the same things God wants us to look for?

We look for so many things in this world to find our happiness and those things that would satisfy us. Only to find out later that those will not satisfy us, so we look again and again. And it seems that the looking for mystical formula seems endless.

Why? Maybe because we are often seeking the wrong things—the material things—things that cannot provide lasting satisfaction and contentment. For instance, can money, power, and other earthly pursuits truly satisfy us? These worldly things are incapable of providing the peace and contentment we seek.

Maybe God is telling us to seek different things, things that will give us satisfaction and make us feel content. There is a Poem written by Howard Thurman called, “THE WORKS OF CHRISTMAS,” and it goes like this…

When the song of the Angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the Kings and the Princes are home,
When the Shepherds are back with their flocks,
The Work of Christmas begins,
To find the LOST…
To Heal the BROKEN…
To Feed the HUNGRY…
To release the PRISONER…
To rebuild the NATIONS…
To bring PEACE among the PEOPLE…
To make Music in the HEART…

This poem tells us that when everything has returned to NORMAL after the holidays the REAL work of Christmas Begins.

In a world where we hear many voices telling us what to do, let us hear God’s voice.

The story of Samuel reminds us that God has a way of getting our attention. God makes himself known through a whisper in the wind or a quiet call in the night. He doesn’t bark orders; rather, He invites us to seek Him—just as Jesus in today’s Gospel invites followers to “Come, and you will see.” No pressure. No demands. No rolling thunder or flashes of lightning. God may give us a nudge. But He wants us to find Him on our own.

Are we willing to look?
Are we willing to listen?
Are we open to the possibility of an unexpected call in the night?

Let us respond to God’s voice this year with the words of a song I listen to all the time…

Here I am, Lord
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night
I will go, Lord
If You lead me
I will hold Your people in my heart…

God Bless us All, Everyone…