Lights
With the Christmas Tree up and soft, white, twinkling lights hanging in doorways and windows throughout my home, I just love the glow and warmth these pretty lights display. Especially in the evening when I can finally relax and inhale all the sweetness around me and exhale the stress of the day. And my heart sits in the calm and quiet that surrounds me.
Now if you are wondering how as a mom I can "sit in the calm," let me just explain that I am almost an empty nester, with kids ranging from ages 33- 25, so my challenge is more of the house being too quiet and I find myself longing for years gone by when the pitter patter of little feet could be heard throughout the house.
Believe it or not, kids do grow up and my new home is now filled with adult kids and their spouses. We've welcomed 3 wonderful son-in-laws and a soon to be daughter-in-law and my heart is full with all the goodness and joy they bring to this mama's sentimental soul.
Presents
And yet, I still have that one place in my heart that will never fill again. That part of my heart that belongs to my oldest son who would be 29 this year and has celebrated Christmas in heaven for 3 years now. I miss his joy as he decorated the house with his brother and me. I miss his excitement and smiling face on Christmas morning when he gave his siblings their gifts...eagerly watching their faces as they unwrapped the gift that he picked out special just for them.
He loved Christmas!
Not for what he got, but for what he gave.
So my blog for December is a little hard to write as I remember those precious Christmas Mornings and I know that some of you are feeling the same way. We've lost a child, a sibling, a parent, a spouse, someone very dear to our hearts and it makes us want to fast forward to January already.
Can I encourage you with this phrase I heard the other day?
In Love He Came
You see, God sent His One and only Son because He loves you.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. I John 4:10
If you find yourself in the middle of this Christmas Season, filled with grief and pain and loss, and the question... why God? I sure do wish I had an answer, but I am not God...I am only a sinner saved by grace who chooses daily to trust Him. Sometimes I go before the Lord kicking and screaming and sometimes I am just too exhausted for a tempter tantrum and I finally give in and simply trust Him.
However, what I can say in full confidence is that because Jesus came in love...we can have that hope. Because of Christmas, as Christians, we celebrate Easter, and so we grieve not as those who have no hope.
I read this passage of scripture the other day which is really what I want to share with you. Paul was writing to the church at Thessalonica which was founded during his second missionary journey. He was writing to encourage them in the Lord and in chapter 4 he was helping them understand the coming of the Lord.
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.I Thessalonians 4: 13-18
He Came When I think of the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ, I am filled with such hope and full confidence that I will indeed see Rudy again as he too put his faith in Christ. And all because Jesus came that very first Christmas as a little baby, born of the Virgin Mary. Because He loves us.
In Love He Came...to give us a future through the washing of our sins. We are not left as those who have no hope of breaking the chains of the sin that binds us. In Love He Came...to give us hope that we may grieve not as those who have no hope. We, as children of the Most High God, are filled with the peace only He can give and our Joy is restored as we wait in great expectation for His return... when we will be united with Him and reunited with our loved ones who are already with Him. In Love He Came...not for what He got, but for what He gave. I do hope this helps as you wake each December morning with a piece of your heart hurting. Remind that broken piece that one day, you will be together again... and the next time will be for eternity...never to be separated.
Much love and prayers for this Holiday Season of 2022. Merry Christmas, Crystal
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