The Christ of Christmas

While bringing down from the attic the bins and boxes of our many years of Christmas memories of our 42 years, I had the thought......"Why? Why do I do this year in and year out for 42 years?" I have had several hours to think about this, as it is an all day affair to get everything switched from "daily" to "Nativity celebration".

And in the process of unpacking and setting up many of my collection of various "Nativity scenes" I had my own answer to my thoughtful question. I do this because "Emmanuel" ...."God with us"!! That is it!!!! Christmas is my one chance to display in a special way that God is with me!! The amazing truth of God becoming a baby boy so that I could be filled with joy!!! Why would I not want to celebrate and display such an astounding reality that has forever changed my life and given to me the hope of life everafter!!

Over the past four months, without a doubt, it has been the very Presence of God in my life that has sustained, empowered, encouraged, fulfilled me while going through the worst storm of ours lives thus far. Because God became a Man Whose name was Jesus, the Christ, emptying Himself of the right to be exalted and worshiped as God while walking this earth, and giving His life as the payment for my sins, I, having trusted Him as my LORD and Savior, have gone through this trial of life with His peace, His provisions, His strength, His grace, His Truth, His power to trust and obey.

I have praised the LORD over and over, these past four months,for not taking Monty from me earlier this year with all of his heart events (about which I have posted previously). I am so thankful for our marriage and the way that we compliment one another in times of crisis, balancing perspectives and sharing each other's pain. I know that His grace would have sustained me as a widow, but practically speaking, having Monty here to comfort and support me when I felt a bit overwhelmed and allowing me to do the same for him made the enduring of this trial more bearable.

I can only say that my heart grieves for those who miss the whole point of Christmas. I pray that this year their eyes may be enlighted to the Light of the world in such a way that each one bows the knee to Him as LORD and thus finds the joy of keeping Christ in Christmas.