One of the biggest things I feel like my parents brought with them, was the spirit of Christmas. I hesitate to say this, hoping that it does not bring to question my knowledge of the real meaning of Christmas or demonstrate that I am too focused on the "secular" side of the holiday. I love my family...one of the main things I love about them is that they love Jesus. Thus, for me the connection...it is really hard this time of year to think about not being with them to celebrate the birth of Christ, to gather around the Christmas dinner table with them and lift each other up in prayer, to listen to Gracie read the Christmas story from the Bible with my dad's help, to worship with them...
So it has been so great to watch my mom come in and create Christmas here. She hung stockings, my dad "fluffed" the tree we had and strung it with lights, mom helped the girls make ornaments, and today we will hopefully bake cookies to decorate...those things don't seem very Christ focused to me, or maybe it is that I worry what you will think...maybe in reality that does seem Christ focused to me in my own little way...I waited so expectantly for my parents to come, unable and unwilling at times to focus on much of anything else. And upon their arrival, the greatest thing has been just to be with them...the simplest of things. I have been able to "be" with them in all my rawness, the good/bad/ugly all out there...and I have glimpsed their hearts for me and my family-their full commitment to serve us this past week whole heartedly and completely...and I have seen how well they know me/us and how well they speak my love languages...and through the relationship I have with them and the ways that I see God working to stretch and grow my family during this time-to expand our borders, I feel the spirit of Christmas...I feel that EXPECTANT feeling being fulfilled through the birth of Christ, even in the here and now...of the hope that comes with the knowledge of him and of the promise that no only does he live and love and act on our behalf, but that HE WILL RETURN to make all things right. All of the things we wrestle with-the things our eyes see all around us on a day to day basis that are just NOT RIGHT...He will come to RESTORE...
"...to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Isaiah 61
Sure the stockings and Chris Tomlin's Christmas worship have played a part, sure I miss things like goodie exchanges, Christmas parties and programs, ugly sweaters and hot apple cider (and I ABSOLUTELY miss the daily dash to the mailbox to check for Christmas cards :) but the true meaning of the season...the richest places of Christmas and the intimacy of it for me, have been in my home in so many ways this past week...and I am so GRATEFUL! Come Lord Jesus....Come O come Immanuel!!! Yes, Lord! Come and DWELL here among us and MOVE among us, but more that that Jesus...COME! Return to your people! Gather your sheep! Make all things NEW!
(sidenote--We would love it if you would still keep us on your Christmas card list :) We have had some ask if they can still send a card to us and the answer is YES!!! Just send it to the same address that you would care packages or supplies and we will have new reason to love mail days even more!!!)
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