Luke 2:9-11 “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.”
I’ve been thinking a lot about the spirit and meaning of the Christmas season. The holidays bring so many emotions and I can’t help but feel nostalgic about the traditions of years gone by, since my life has so radically changed. This will be our fourth Christmas without our son and the thought of facing another significant holiday without him causes my breath to catch and my eyes to fill with tears. The fact that he is not here casts a shadow over the whole season, especially the days leading up to Christmas morning. Everything is an effort and even when I try to join in the festivities, my heart is not really in it and it seems as if I’m just going through the motions. When I lay my head down on my pillow at night, the anguish and the sorrow quickly return and there is a deep abiding sadness in my soul that has taken up residence there and continuously reminds me of the precious child I have loved and lost. It is so difficult to just cast all that aside and take joy in all of the hullabaloo and yet, that is exactly what is expected of me because as a mother, it is me who makes Christmas actually happen. And yet, here I am, knowing how important it is to my family to continue to bring home the traditions that have been a part of who we were for so many years, yet all I want to do is check out because the pressures of this responsibility is just far too much for me to handle. I have come to the conclusion this year that the Lord does not want me to just buckle-up, sit tight and white-knuckle it until New Year’s Day; no, He wants to me to see His glory in Christmas; in fact, He wants for me to be His glory, not only during the holiday season, but all year long.
2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” When I contemplate the Lord’s glory, something happens inside of me, something changes that I cannot explain. In the quiet of the moment, in the early morning dawn as I peer into the pages of Scripture, I am being transformed into His image, an image that only comes from truly experiencing the glory of the Lord. In my inadequacy, I find His grace and mercy and the joy of the One who has given me the wonder of His peace that passes all understanding so that others might see a glimpse of His glory in me, not in a book they may never read. Yes, I am the face of the One who daily captivates me by His love and then, in turn, everything I say and do will either reflect or diminish His glory. The Holy One who has come, and now dwells and abides in me. He is the Son of God, and through Him, He brings the good news that overshadows all who are weary and all who are lost and dying. For unto us, in the city of David, a child has been born and they shall call His name Immanuel, God with us, our Savior Messiah. The Lord who causes great joy for He will save the people from their sins. On this day I am filled with the wonder of the glory of the Lord who now shines all around and gives me hope so that I might understand the true meaning of Christmas.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the spirit and meaning of the Christmas season. The holidays bring so many emotions and I can’t help but feel nostalgic about the traditions of years gone by, since my life has so radically changed. This will be our fourth Christmas without our son and the thought of facing another significant holiday without him causes my breath to catch and my eyes to fill with tears. The fact that he is not here casts a shadow over the whole season, especially the days leading up to Christmas morning. Everything is an effort and even when I try to join in the festivities, my heart is not really in it and it seems as if I’m just going through the motions. When I lay my head down on my pillow at night, the anguish and the sorrow quickly return and there is a deep abiding sadness in my soul that has taken up residence there and continuously reminds me of the precious child I have loved and lost. It is so difficult to just cast all that aside and take joy in all of the hullabaloo and yet, that is exactly what is expected of me because as a mother, it is me who makes Christmas actually happen. And yet, here I am, knowing how important it is to my family to continue to bring home the traditions that have been a part of who we were for so many years, yet all I want to do is check out because the pressures of this responsibility is just far too much for me to handle. I have come to the conclusion this year that the Lord does not want me to just buckle-up, sit tight and white-knuckle it until New Year’s Day; no, He wants to me to see His glory in Christmas; in fact, He wants for me to be His glory, not only during the holiday season, but all year long.
2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” When I contemplate the Lord’s glory, something happens inside of me, something changes that I cannot explain. In the quiet of the moment, in the early morning dawn as I peer into the pages of Scripture, I am being transformed into His image, an image that only comes from truly experiencing the glory of the Lord. In my inadequacy, I find His grace and mercy and the joy of the One who has given me the wonder of His peace that passes all understanding so that others might see a glimpse of His glory in me, not in a book they may never read. Yes, I am the face of the One who daily captivates me by His love and then, in turn, everything I say and do will either reflect or diminish His glory. The Holy One who has come, and now dwells and abides in me. He is the Son of God, and through Him, He brings the good news that overshadows all who are weary and all who are lost and dying. For unto us, in the city of David, a child has been born and they shall call His name Immanuel, God with us, our Savior Messiah. The Lord who causes great joy for He will save the people from their sins. On this day I am filled with the wonder of the glory of the Lord who now shines all around and gives me hope so that I might understand the true meaning of Christmas.
