Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones from our family...and Georgia!
Driving around the other day, I noticed the bareness of the landscape. When I looked at the bare space, during the most wonderful time of the year, I was reminded that Christmas may be a challenging time for people, as people may be mourning a loved one, experiencing a health scare, healing from a broken relationship, etc.. Even with so much good around, it may be hard for some of us to see above the challenge and experience the joy this season, and this day has to offer. So today I write yes, to celebrate Jesus' birthday, and also to be sure, if today is hard for you, for you to remember you are not alone.
A verse I hold very dear, especially this time of year, is Isaiah 9:6. It reads,
“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
When I think about any struggle we encounter in our lives, it is comforting to know that we have a Wonderful Counselor available to us night and day. We are never alone; Emmanuel, God is with us. We have a Mighty God who is for us, and wants to be invited in to help us fight the visible and invisible battles we experience. We have an Everlasting Father who loves us unconditionally whether our lives - and thoughts - are tidy, or a mess. And we have the Prince of Peace who came into our lives so we can have rest in our souls, no matter our circumstances. Knowing this truth doesn't mean our struggles will always go right away, but it gives us a truth to help anchor our souls, and something we can meditate on to help us through. I share this with you today, as we celebrate Christmas as a reminder of who Jesus is in our lives.
I invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.™
On this Christmas day, may we not only see the baby in the manger, may we allow Jesus to be the light in our lives He came to be. May we open our minds, eyes, ears, hearts and hands to Him and receive what He is offering; to be our Wonderful Counselor, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace. May we allow His love for us to transform our hearts, minds and lives. And on those days, when we are feeling bare within, like the landscape I saw that day, may we remember we are never alone, God is always with us, and He puts others in our lives to help us through as well. Jesus was born to show us the way, the truth and life, may we receive the free gift He is offering and by doing so, experience rest, and joy, in our soul, even in a bare season.
Wishing you a blessed Christmas friend!
With love and hope,
Shawn
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder,
and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Isaiah 9:6