Light

P. P. Bliss wrote a hymn that speaks to my heart at this time of year:

Come to the light, 'tis shining for thee. Sweetly the light has dawned upon me. Once I was blind but now I can see. The Light of the world Is Jesus.

Christmas is a time when many truly don't know why we celebrate. In the dark of winter, the light of the world came down and his name is Jesus. One small light—a match, a candle, a flashlight makes a difference in the dark. The light of Jesus is greater than any light.

No need of the sunlight in Heaven we're told. The Light of the world is Jesus. The Lamb is the light in the city of gold. The Light of the world is Jesus.

His light is so bright that there will be no need of sunshine. If the light of the world is Jesus and he lives in us, should we not shine in the darkness? Let's shine our light so that those lost in darkness will know where to turn. I am determined to be a light as the New Year begins. Will you join me?

Love

Love is the reason for Christmas.  Love brought us Christmas.  Love came down at Christmas.

1Corinthians 13:1-8 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecies, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give out all my goods, and if I deliver my body that I be burned, but I do not have love, I am not profited anything. Love has patience, is kind; love is not envious; love is not vain, is not puffed up; does not behave indecently, does not pursue its own things, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth. Love quietly covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Love is unselfish and I am a selfish person at heart.  No matter what, I’m most interested in my own welfare. I find myself functioning that way in every area of my life.  I’m most interested in how much work I’ll have to do to get dinner on the table.  I want to know how little I can get way with in order to help someone else.  I have many tasks to accomplish and very few of them are for me.  They are directed toward my family, immediate and extended.  I fail because I get so wrapped up in the cost that I don’t offer any of it in love.  This is my constant struggle.  I want to learn how to love others and not consider the cost to myself.  I want to lavish God’s love on those around me.  I want to be God’s woman. 

Think of what Jesus did.  He left the riches of heaven to be born in a stable because he loves us.  His father gave his only son so we could be with him forever.  Love truly came down at Christmas. 

 

Hope

I am not a hopeful person by nature. In fact, my family sometimes characterizes me as Eeyore. You’ve met him. He expects the absolute worst—and that’s usually what he gets. I come from a long line of card-carrying pessimists and I married an eternal optimist (who sprang from even more dyed-in-the-wool pessimists than I am). It creates an unusual dynamic. There is a tension between my pessimism and his perpetual hopefulness.

When we were dating and making plans to get married, he was in the Army and I was attending college. It seemed like it would be forever before we actually married. He explained to me how to manage. Thanksgiving came first, then Christmas and New Year’s. February brought Ground Hog’s Day as well as the President’s birthdays. March marked the first anniversary of our first date. April ushered in his birthday. Our wedding date was set for May 18th. Although it seems kind of silly, I have never forgotten it. I had not been taught to hope or celebrate. It was the beginning of my education in hope.

I am starting to look for hope everywhere. I am learning to hope in God. We hope that Christmas will be a wonderful time of year. Hope points us back to joy. Every day we have opportunity to celebrate. Let’s hope based on God’s character and faithfulness instead of wishful thinking. God has given us great reason for hope. He sent his son even though we did nothing to deserve it. He gave us Christmas.

Romans 5 opens with these thoughts: Then being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have had access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we glory in the hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory also in afflictions, knowing that affliction works out patience, and patience works out proven character; and proven character, hope. And the hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us; for we yet being without strength, in due time Christ died for ungodly ones.

This is my hope for the week: that I will hope in God each day knowing that his love has been given to me.

Peace

The angels sang "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men," to the shepherds. Jesus brings peace. Psalms 34 tell us to seek peace and pursue it.

This week, my plan is to pursue peace because it looks like a whirlwind coming. Last week, I found a reason for joy every day. A couple of days it was small but I found something. Tuesday, I have a rehearsal and a concert. Thursday I am going to collect Aaron from the airport and run him around a little. I will be doing some cooking/baking/cleaning/organizing as I prepare for next Sunday's party with the whole family. I can see how many things I have to do. My heart is already jumping ahead of me. I already feel like I'm running behind.

We define peace as an absence of stress, noise and difficulty. We see it as a manger with a baby and his parents. Having a child born away from home in a barn is not a peaceful circumstance. What they had was God's peace in the midst of their circumstances. That's different than having peace where there are no interruptions or responsibilities. It's easy to have a peaceful day if you have nothing to do and nowhere to go. You can shut off the phone; you can ignore the door; you can sit in the living room without the television on. That can be peaceful. Sometimes it's not, though, because you carry swirling thoughts and emotions around with you. There's no pressure from outside; it comes from inside.

The Christmas baby brings peace. Jesus told his disciples: I leave peace to you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be timid. This is my hook for this week.