Dearest Sister,
Christmas is coming–A joyous time for some–a festive time of twinkling lights, abundant decorations, new gowns, parties, and gifts. Christmas cards keep people in touch with friends rarely seen. Buying frenzies, choosing perfect presents for others (or self) are the order of the season. Young men spend hard-earned wages on sparkly gems for their special girls. Young ladies are giddy with anticipation. Children daydream, write lists, beg, try to be good, rub sleepy eyes on Christmas Eve, hoping to hear Rudolph’s stomping on the roof, depositing Santa and his gift bag near the chimney. The elderly remember wistfully of holidays long ago.
Christmas is coming! A miserable time for some. Broken and dysfunctional relationships result in palpable sadness and depression. Poverty, homelessness, mental instability… Unmet expectations, frustration, anger, hopelessness, fear, confusion. Drunkenness abounds, attempting to drown memories and suffering into oblivion. That spouse or child or mama or daddy who sat at the Christmas table last year will be absent through death, infidelity and divorce, or waywardness of one sort or another. Broken hearts. Rejected hearts. Confused hearts. Inconsolable hearts.
Where are you, dear sister, on this spectrum between happiness and agony?
For a true child of the One whose birth the world pretends to celebrate or tries to obliterate with their Happy Holidays and X-Mas greetings, Christmas is not predominantly about festivities and gift-giving. It really is about a Person, as clichêd as that may sound to some. No matter our station in life, our present joy or sorrow, we must remember and retell the Story of this Person to ourselves and others this season: Immanuel. God with us.
The Old Testament told us the Redeemer was coming, the Rescuer of His people. And, indeed He came. God, the Son, “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:7-11)
Sister, remember, long after all the lovely festivities are over, the generous gift-giving and receiving has joyfully played out and life resumes its everyday-ness, remember Jesus said He came to give life and give it more abundantly. (John 10:10) When trials and sorrows and sadness never seem to abate, we can turn to the One who suffered persecution, torture, death, and God’s wrath in our place in order to set us free from our bondage to sin and death. Be mindful that He said His yoke is easy and His burden is light–in view of the eternal bliss He has promised.
Sing this song with me this Christmas season, meditating on and rejoicing in the story set in history long ago. Let it warm and encourage your heart and set your thinking right, dear friend. All else pales in light of this old story–Old, yet new and alive every day. Sing–and fall on your knees.
ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY
Written by Cecil F. Alexander (1818-1895
“Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.
He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall:
With the poor, and mean and lowly
Lived on earth, our Savior holy.
Jesus is our childhood’s pattern,
Day by day like us He grew;
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew:
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.
And our eyes at last shall see Him
Thru His own redeeming love;
For that Child, so dear and gentle,
Is our Lord in heav’n above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.
Not in that poor lonely stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him, but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
When like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.”
Reckon the things from His Word to be true–and therefore, be joyful this season and beyond. The day of His arrival is coming soon. Look up. It may be today.
May your Christmas be bless-ed, my sister.
With love,
Cherry