Christmas–God's gift to the world

     Just think about this–the God who created the world and everything in it, the God who made man in His image, who made us to be a reflection of His glory, the God who wanted more than anything to have a relationship with those He created–He knew the only way that could happen was through a blood sacrifice. And not just any blood, but sinless blood. God knew the only way to restore His relationship with us, was if He came to earth and sacrificed Himself on our behalf. He had to become one of us, give up His glorious home in heaven and live among us.

     As we celebrate Christmas each year, we commemorate His arrival to earth in human form, as a baby. When we sing, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” we are welcoming Christ as God with us. That’s exactly what Christmas is all about. And it is the second most important event on the Christian calendar–the first being the ultimate sacrifice, the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. But you can’t have the sacrifice without first having the birth.

     As we prepare for Christmas, we decorate with lights–which represent Christ as the light of the world. “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 1:1-5)

     We also put up our nativity scenes based on Luke’s account of Christ’s birth. “While they were there (in Bethlehem), the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6-7)

     We put angels on our trees and mantels as a reminder that angels announced His birth to shepherds and angels also played an important part in announcing His birth to His earthly parents. We also decorate with stars as a reminder that the magi followed a star to the birthplace of the newborn king. And we purchase and make gifts to give to our loved ones because the wise men gave gifts to the holy one.

     There are a lot of traditions which have been added to the celebration through the years–Christmas trees, Santa Claus, sleigh rides and jingle bells, but all those things can enhance our celebrations because, after all, Christmas is one huge birthday party for Jesus. We have much to celebrate because the God of all creation has arrived on earth!

     Those who try to eliminate Jesus from Christmas have no idea that they are also eliminating themselves from God’s kingdom. Jesus came to earth for one reason–to sacrifice His sinless blood for the human race so that we could all have a restored relationship with God, our creator. He came for that specific purpose, but God has given us freewill and we can choose to believe that Jesus is God in the flesh or refuse to believe. 

     As I was decorating my mantel this year, I had such a burden in my heart for those who have never heard the good news. Maybe, just maybe, this blog will reach someone who has never heard about Christ. Maybe, just maybe, someone will view Christmas in a different light after reading this blog. And maybe, just maybe, someone who really doesn’t “feel” like celebrating this year will decide to light a candle, hang a star or set out a nativity. “O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

Finding God in a garden...

A writer writes, right? So that is what I am determined to do. I need to record my random thoughts about how I see God showing up in my ordinary, everyday life.

September 27, 2016
As I sat on the deck in my backyard today enjoying the cooler autumn air, I watched as the little birds came to the feeder. They landed on the picket fence and sunflower stalks congregating in little groups, waiting for a turn at the feeder and basically, just enjoying the day - like me.

A breeze was blowing the whirl-a-gig in the raised flower bed, the small garden flag was swaying to and fro. The sky was clear - not a cloud anywhere and it was so very blue.

In the distance I noticed that the soybeans in the field behind our house were turning from bright green a few weeks ago to yellow, which means it won't be long until harvest. A flock of birds flew over the bean field and were joined by another flock. They moved in unison this way and that and looked like a cloud performing a dance in the sky. A few sparrows sat on the rim of the bird bath taking small sips and they flying away to join their own little flock.

As I watched the activity around me in my little garden, I felt total peace.

My backyard is a foretaste of heaven. I had a sense of wonder at a God who created all the different types of birds. From the plain brown sparrows to the colorful cardinals and bluejays and the remarkable woodpeckers, each one was created by God for specific reasons.

Even the types of seeds they eat are varied. It occurred to me that He made birds initially to make sure that seeds would be spread throughout the earth. And I wondered how many of the seeds from my garden flowers will sprout somewhere next spring because of the birds visiting my yard. I know I've seen them eating seeds in the zinnia bed and they have feasted on the sunflowers. This tiny little patch of property has such amazing and far-reaching potential. It's beyond my understanding.

In the scheme of things, my garden is nice, but it's not really noteworthy - it looks kind of sad right now. Most of the plants are done blooming and growth has stopped. Weeds are threatening to take over, but it's still a peaceful place.

As I contemplated the peacefulness, I realized just how fortunate I am to have this haven in my backyard. The world around me is filled with chaos and disorder. There is so much hatred and anger - oh how those who steal, kill and destroy would benefit from a little garden time. I wonder if they would appreciate the value of time spent watching birds, or if they would sense the presence of the Almighty God which is so evident to me? I guess maybe you have to be looking for God in the everyday events to find Him.

I wonder where I'll experience His presence tomorrow?