Christmas Reflections
Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 7:00AM MAD21 By Pat
A friend of mine asked me to write a devotional about Christmas; memories, lessons learned, etc. Where could I start? What could I say? Like most of us, I have enough Christmas memories to fill an entire notebook. Baking cookies, wrapping gifts, decorating trees. Family, friends, food. Lovely, warm memories that bring a smile to my heart when called to mind.
There have been lean holidays, and more prosperous ones. Some hectic, and some, more peaceful. We have, through the years, said sad goodbyes to loved ones, and have also happily welcomed new little lives into our family.
Times have changed, things have changed, we have changed, and certain aspects of the fabric of our family have changed. But one thing that for me has never changed, except to grow stronger, is the feeling that overcomes me this time of year, no matter what else is going on around me, and that is the feeling of hope.
Through all the busy-ness of the Christmas season, I am filled with a sense of calm when, finally on Christmas Eve, I sit down in church, take a deep breath, and feel in my heart the hope that is Jesus. When I hear Christmas music, when I see houses brightly and colorfully decorated, I feel that sense of peace that I need, that I long for. Calmness comes over me, and I remember what it's all about. When I see the faces of my loved ones and feel their warm hugs, I am filled with joy and gratitude. I have learned not to take them for granted, for none of us knows how long our days are on this earth.
Though circumstances around me may change, the meaning of Christmas does not. I do not remember the gifts I have given or received through the years, but I always remember the love, the joy, and the hope in the newborn baby we celebrate: Jesus, the gift beyond measure. I have learned that the gift of a smile, a hug, and a word of encouragement to someone who may be struggling are the best gifts of all, and I give them more freely. And I have learned that the joy and the hope of Christmas can and should be carried and given out all year long to a world that desperately needs it. After all, hope is the best thing of all, and Jesus is hope, Jesus is light, and Jesus is love.
Thank you, God, for the best gift ever, and may I always honor you by showing Jesus not just on Christmas, but every day!
Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.
Reader Comments (2)
I think a lot of people get hung up in the past this time of year...swept up in the coulda, shoulda, wouldas. But your post speak of a brighter day, which is really what the nativity was all about
David.
www.RedLetterBelievers.com
For me, I have always felt sad at Christmas. I think it's mostly because, as kids, and even as adults too, we allow ourselves to develope such great expectations at Christmas time, and what we expected almost NEVER comes to pass. As kids, it's always some gift we wanted that we didn't get. As young adults, it might be that we were longing for a certain someone to "pay attention" to us, and maybe even spend the Holidays with that special person, but it doesn't work out that way. As adults, we try to make everything "perfect" for everybody, which can't happen. Or, as David pointed out, at Christmas time we seem to become keenly aware of what's "missing" from our lives. Bad relationships, poor health, money problems, all tend to bring us to a "reality" that hurts and makes us long for "better times". When I look around and see SO much suffering, it makes sad and I'm not surprised that there are more sucides this time of year than at any other. Yes, Hope IS the best thing of all.....it's what keeps us going. Without it, well, bad things happen.... And it only takes a very small amount to keep us afloat. It's directly related to what the Bible calls Faith....you know, the mustard seed thing....only the size of a grain is needed to accomplish something significant. That's because ANY faith at all, is SOMETHING! There's a BIG difference between NO faith and ANY faith, no matter how small. So, May God grant us FAITH, so we can have HOPE. And what, you may ask, is the object, or point of, this "faith" or "hope"? Well, I believe the object and point of our faith should be that God Himself, has OUR best interest at heart, and IS working ALL things out according to His plan for those who are called and who love Him. To the degree we actually believe this, we WILL have that measure of hope that whatever we might be going through, even when it's something that WE have brought upon ourselves, is NOT beyond the control or knowledge of our Heavenly Father, and He WILL bring all things to a "good" conclusion, even if it takes a lifetime. The reason so many people are without Hope and scared of the future is because they don't know this Heavenly Father and the world, to them, is a very frightening place and appears to be "out of control". To be a person who "Hopes", or exercises Faith, in the midst of what appears to be a mess or chaos, flies in the face of logic and reason. But, as the angel spoke to Mary when she asked how these things could be?, "Nothing is impossible with God".....something I need to tell myself about every 10 minutes... And as you said, Pat, it's OUR job to encourage each other, knowing that we ALL need it quite often... I know I do.... I like the verse that says something like, "Is the arm of the Lord too short, that He cannot save?" It brings to mind a person sitting at the bottom of a pit that he or she can't climb out of...not without the arm of someone reaching down and PULLING the person out. But it takes a "long arm" to reach down far enough to get to us because if it wasn't a very deep pit, we could climb out on our own! God wants us to admit we NEED Him.....that's the beginning of learning submission, which leads to learning to really "trust" Him, which leads to faith AND hope, knowing that He CAN and will save us. Praise God for His mercy and grace toward us. Christmas is supposed to remind us of that.... Thanks, Pat, for reminding me of that....