Christmas is a time to remember, for obvious reasons, that Jesus is coming. His first appearance to this earth was as a helpless baby- how amazing that His second return will be with the power and glory that the first was lacking! (It never ceases to amaze me how God often chooses the unexpected way of going about His will.) However, so much will be changed for us on earth before that happens. How gracious though that Jesus Himself gave us the warning signs and His entreaty to not be afraid. He knows that the things that must happen between now and His return will be worrisome, scary and even downright terrifying. So He gave us His hope- His peace- that we may not be afraid. All things to come mean we are that much closer to going home. Our final, permanent home. How weary we feel after taking a vacation- yet, as we enter our home, a slight surge of energy commingled with relief settles within us. It's the first deep breath drawn, the lightness of setting our bags down. I wonder what that first breath taken in heaven, in the presence of my Lord and Savior, will feel like. So much more than I can imagine, of that I'm certain, and completely fulfilling. Lovely. Perfect. I look forward to breathing in the complete joy and full peace available only in heaven; created by God the Father, handed over by Jesus His Son, and flowing throughout as the Holy Spirit. Don't let this Christmas season go by without appreciating fully the gift God has waiting for us in His presence. And let's remember to thank Him for what we hope- and know- will come.
Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Revelation 11:17
We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Hidden Things Revealed
Yesterday, we traveled to Roanoke to visit Elijah's Great-Grandma. We are so incredibly blessed that he has a great-grandma, and that she is lucid and able-bodied. It makes me wonder what Mary's mother felt towards baby Jesus. A grandparent's pride most often runs deep- how much more so for the Son of God! Did she feel she could offer Mary advice, or was she intimidated? Or perhaps she held back at first, but later on- if the "novelty" of having Jesus as a grandson wore off- maybe she felt more able to speak up. I don't know. But I think lately, as I have struggled to feel a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus, I am going to think more on these things; Jesus' life, how his parents felt towards Him, what life may have been like while He was growing up and teaching for those around Him. But all of this is getting off-track. Back to your regularly scheduled blog-post! ;-)
As we were on our way to Roanoke yesterday, I noticed among the many trees the dozens, even hundreds, of birds' nests. Obviously, most of them are there throughout the year. And it's certainly easy enough to see a bird or fifty on a summer's day while outside. Sometimes we even come across a bird's nest in our own yard. Particularly in the eyes of a child, it is a treasure to behold. It is very much a treasure, just as the blessings we receive everyday from God are treasures of infinite wealth. These blessings are present everyday, in all sorts of places and situations. However, they often go unnoticed. They are there- sometimes literally right in front of our face- but we don't see them. I think much of the time, we aren't meant to see them- they are to be revealed in the presence of God Himself in heaven. But I also think that plenty are to be seen, if only we would truly, deeply look. We may look with our eyes, yet still not see. Maybe we need to retrain our minds, or better yet, our hearts, to see things more clearly. To see them the way God wishes for us to see them, if only we would try a bit harder.
But sometimes we see these treasures when things are laid bare, as are the trees in the winter. When life seems bare or hopeless, a treasure from God is revealed; to keep hope within sight, to remind us that not all is lost, and that blessings are everywhere, sometimes in the strangest of places. And maybe they are seen best and clearest in the "winters" of life, when little else is visible.
As we were on our way to Roanoke yesterday, I noticed among the many trees the dozens, even hundreds, of birds' nests. Obviously, most of them are there throughout the year. And it's certainly easy enough to see a bird or fifty on a summer's day while outside. Sometimes we even come across a bird's nest in our own yard. Particularly in the eyes of a child, it is a treasure to behold. It is very much a treasure, just as the blessings we receive everyday from God are treasures of infinite wealth. These blessings are present everyday, in all sorts of places and situations. However, they often go unnoticed. They are there- sometimes literally right in front of our face- but we don't see them. I think much of the time, we aren't meant to see them- they are to be revealed in the presence of God Himself in heaven. But I also think that plenty are to be seen, if only we would truly, deeply look. We may look with our eyes, yet still not see. Maybe we need to retrain our minds, or better yet, our hearts, to see things more clearly. To see them the way God wishes for us to see them, if only we would try a bit harder.
But sometimes we see these treasures when things are laid bare, as are the trees in the winter. When life seems bare or hopeless, a treasure from God is revealed; to keep hope within sight, to remind us that not all is lost, and that blessings are everywhere, sometimes in the strangest of places. And maybe they are seen best and clearest in the "winters" of life, when little else is visible.
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