When Love Came Down...
It's December in Texas, and it's 75 degrees, which makes for some interesting weather phenomena. As I drove to work yesterday, I passed an open field, and in that field there were literally clouds lying on the ground! It was breathtaking! And it was a poignant reminder of Heaven come down to earth in a very literal sense!
Christmas is just around the corner -- just a few days away, in fact. All of the traditional sights and sounds prevail -- lights in trees and outlining houses; carols playing over the speakers in the stores; long lines at the checkout populated by (mostly) patient folks; cookies and candy and candles and cards and kids giddy with excitement over high hopes for Christmas Day.
It's not too hard, though, to look past the "pretty" and the "merry" and the "sparkly" to see the "hurt" and the "sad" and the "scared" and the "disappointed." Life is a mixed bag, to be sure. And as I reflect on the past year, so many rich, wonderful, sweet experiences come to mind! I'm incredibly grateful for God's kindness to me in so many areas of my life! There have been moments too numerous to count when His presence with me was practically tangible. On the other side of the coin, this past year has been a year of learning to live without the guidance, love, and friendship of my dad -- a great Pops to our sons as they grew up, a good father-in-law to my husband, and my sweet Daddy! One of my sorrows in losing him was that he never got to meet Everly and Lucy, our precious little grandbabies. He loved kids and could always win them over with a little funny conversation and a big hug!
This year may have held some heartache for you, too. Just in my little circle, I've seen parents hurting over wayward children, cancer diagnoses, infidelity, elderly parents struggling through their final days, job loss, the loss of a child, the pain of loneliness, the death of a spouse. The list goes on and on. Pain so deep, it's almost hard to take the next breath. And it's easy for a soul to take on a chill and a solitude and a hopelessness that can't seem to be shaken.
I'm guessing that on that field I passed by the other morning, there were rocks in the soil. There were weeds. There were a few pieces of rusting equipment strewn about. There were bugs and spiders. And yet the clouds so low to the earth made the mess a masterpiece. God looked down from Heaven, and He saw the rocks and the weeds and the rust and the bugs. He saw the ugly, scary stuff of this world, and He -- Love -- said to Himself, "I'll go to them." And on a night like any other -- and yet completely NOT like any other -- He brought Heaven to earth so that we might not walk this path of life alone. And He made a promise -- brought hope and comfort and rest -- with these words: "'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He Who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" -- Revelation 21:4-5.
Love did come down. And He walked among us. He walks among us still. As you rejoice in the blessings of the past year and maybe simultaneously struggle with heartache, remember that He especially walks with you. Immanuel -- "God with us."
Love, joy, and peace to you. Merry Christmas!
Christmas is just around the corner -- just a few days away, in fact. All of the traditional sights and sounds prevail -- lights in trees and outlining houses; carols playing over the speakers in the stores; long lines at the checkout populated by (mostly) patient folks; cookies and candy and candles and cards and kids giddy with excitement over high hopes for Christmas Day.
It's not too hard, though, to look past the "pretty" and the "merry" and the "sparkly" to see the "hurt" and the "sad" and the "scared" and the "disappointed." Life is a mixed bag, to be sure. And as I reflect on the past year, so many rich, wonderful, sweet experiences come to mind! I'm incredibly grateful for God's kindness to me in so many areas of my life! There have been moments too numerous to count when His presence with me was practically tangible. On the other side of the coin, this past year has been a year of learning to live without the guidance, love, and friendship of my dad -- a great Pops to our sons as they grew up, a good father-in-law to my husband, and my sweet Daddy! One of my sorrows in losing him was that he never got to meet Everly and Lucy, our precious little grandbabies. He loved kids and could always win them over with a little funny conversation and a big hug!
This year may have held some heartache for you, too. Just in my little circle, I've seen parents hurting over wayward children, cancer diagnoses, infidelity, elderly parents struggling through their final days, job loss, the loss of a child, the pain of loneliness, the death of a spouse. The list goes on and on. Pain so deep, it's almost hard to take the next breath. And it's easy for a soul to take on a chill and a solitude and a hopelessness that can't seem to be shaken.
I'm guessing that on that field I passed by the other morning, there were rocks in the soil. There were weeds. There were a few pieces of rusting equipment strewn about. There were bugs and spiders. And yet the clouds so low to the earth made the mess a masterpiece. God looked down from Heaven, and He saw the rocks and the weeds and the rust and the bugs. He saw the ugly, scary stuff of this world, and He -- Love -- said to Himself, "I'll go to them." And on a night like any other -- and yet completely NOT like any other -- He brought Heaven to earth so that we might not walk this path of life alone. And He made a promise -- brought hope and comfort and rest -- with these words: "'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He Who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" -- Revelation 21:4-5.
Love did come down. And He walked among us. He walks among us still. As you rejoice in the blessings of the past year and maybe simultaneously struggle with heartache, remember that He especially walks with you. Immanuel -- "God with us."
Love, joy, and peace to you. Merry Christmas!
