Tears in the Middle of Silent Night

This year is different for me from any other Christmas because I cannot hear Silent Night without crying. I never had this happen any Christmas before. I believe it is because I have a renewed appreciation for what actually happened on that night so long ago.

The sheer enormity of what the Son of God submitted Himself to in becoming human, God in the flesh, is startling! I have read that the birthing process is very harrowing for an infant. The long and torturous journey from the relative comfort of the womb and through the birth canal is uncomfortable, painful and dangerous for the child. And Jesus submitted to being clothed in helpless flesh, dependent on His mother for nourishment; his earthly father for provision and protection.

Just what kind of world did the Savior encounter after He was born? Here was a very young mother with no woman to help her, a husband with no experience in delivering babies and surroundings less than sterile. Straw, animal dung and the smell of earth mixed with the damp night air. We are told He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed to sleep in an animal feeding trough or manger. Such humble beginnings for the King of glory!

He entered a world where sin reigned supreme and human effort to change conditions had failed miserably. He came to a planet in trouble, not because of global warming, but because of the coldness of people’s hearts toward His Father. Jesus came out of obedience to His Heavenly Father’s plan. It was Jesus’ commitment to be in submission to the Father’s will from start to finish that lead Him from the cradle to the cross.

Love like that; obedience of that magnitude is not something one can consider without responding. So, that is why I cry when I hear Silent Night now. Love so wonderful, so unearned overpowers me. I pray you will join me in thanking God for His eternal plan set into motion from the beginning to make us His own through Jesus Christ, His only Son.    Doma

Life Unraveling

What happens when everything in life begins to quickly unravel like a favorite old sweater caught on a nail? All you were certain of and trusting in is suddenly in jeopardy. For some Americans, this is happening right now. Their jobs are being eliminated, their investments have decreased in value, their bills are unpaid and stress is affecting their health. Marriages flounder and the future looks bleak. Depression, fear and anxiety haunt many, many people.

If you happen to know someone who is struggling and you are one of the people who is not, then you have a sacred obligation. You are being blessed to be a blessing. Your "good fortune" is not just a coincidence and not just for you. Your brothers and sisters need you. They not only need a friend to listen and to pray for them, but may need more from you. Your heart must be tender before God, for He may ask you to share your blessings with others.

To share only material blessings is not enough, however. For long-term recovery, strugglers need faith. They need soul support. Jesus said, "Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest." It is in introducing battered, hurting people to the Savior that you are giving eternal blessing to those tired, troubled ones. Reluctance to share the blessings of faith in Christ has eternal consequences. Isn't the Savior's "Well done, good and faithful servant" more important to you than what some critical person may say about your witnessing to others?

Help people put life's puzzle together again with Jesus as the missing piece. His love is the one certainty we can rely on forever. Take Him at His word! DB

This Choice Is Yours

Expectations, minus reality, equal disappointment. This is a simple equation, but its truth cuts deeply into the heart of older people. We raised our children to be independent just as, hopefully, they raised theirs. Many of us find we are members of the first of four generations. We are often left in the dust of life and sometimes seen in the rear view mirror by our offspring. But, this is the way life is! People live it and move on. That is what we want for them.

      Now, we have to choose the level of involvement we have in the lives of our precious families. If we choose to sit and wait for them to meet our needs and pay us the attention we crave, we are asking for trouble! We must be the great grandparents and step up bringing love and wisdom and being there when they need us. We are privileged to have a fantastic life perspective that sees the bigger picture, but we must restrain ourselves from being critical of our loved ones who have to make their own mistakes and deal with this foreign culture we now inhabit.

     My point is – don’t back off, choose to make the move to call, write, or visit. Embrace their technology; don’t fear it. Communicate love every chance you get. That is your job as a senior member of society. Feeling sorry for yourself and choosing isolation must NOT be an option. You will answer to the Almighty for such selfishness. Enjoy the holidays and each day, but don’t impose high expectations on those you love. Remember too, there are so many others out there like you. Friends are the family we choose for ourselves. Thank God for them! DB 12/15/13

The Long Awaited One

By Doma ©12/04/13

As you hear the strains of “Come Thou Long-expected Savior”, you caress your swollen abdomen. You recall another girl of long ago blooming large with child. You cannot imagine that donkey ride over barren, rocky ground, her husband plodding by her side and her patiently asking, “Are we almost there yet?”

No mother or midwife attending her that night, nor family surrounding her in her own familiar home. No woman coaching her as to how to proceed. There is only the drafty stable with a feeding trough to lay her precious child in. Only her husband’s willing and gentle hands wiping the sweat from her damp brow.

Thank Yahweh for the time spent with Elizabeth! Following her dear cousin’s directions, the girl brought swaddling clothes for the child. Elizabeth’s words still resound in her mind as she recalls the way her cousin’s own babe leaped in the womb when she entered the room. She again feels the thrill of the memory of seeing the angel and the awe of all that is happening even now.

The night is fair and bright with stars. A warm breeze carries the scent of animals, sweet hay and straw. As the pain increases in intensity, the time of birth is arriving. A hush falls on the scene and the fullness of time has come.

The long awaited One has come. God’s heavens resound with rejoicing and shepherds timidly approach with the news of angels’ words. You return from your reverie still pregnant with promise, but soon you feel the awe of that amazing night for yourself.