God with Us

This Christmas has a different feel to it...different bad, different good I'm not sure...just different.  I think it's pretty normal to take some inventory and realign priorities when someone close to you passes away.  In addition, I have also met another family that is really struggling this Christmas season with real life stuff that's real hard.  I have made statements like, "There is no end to the suffering here on earth."  I know it's a strong statement.  I don't feel like pretty-ing up my words right now. I am struggling with buying Christmas presents for folks who don't need anything and I am struggling with those same folks buying presents for me.  I know y'all are all jealous that you can't spend Christmas with me this year, aren't you?  No seriously, I don't say anything like that out loud because we're not supposed to, right?  So I don't, but I am struggling with it just the same.

At the core of it all...it's love...only love.  All of our Creator's love sent to us in the form of His Son.  A baby born to die because of unfathomable love for us...all of us.  I want my children to know true happiness and joy not just the kind of happiness we get from opening presents, that is so temporary so fleeting.  God, let them know true joy and happiness in their Savior...that is eternal.  Let us be particularly aware of what a gift these moments are with the people we love...let that love be so real and so genuine to everyone we come in contact with.  At the end of it all what we remember is how people made us feel...I rememeber my friend...

Praying for peace and contentment in our Christmas, for cherished time with friends and family and at the center of it all...love.  "And they will call Him Immanuel (which means 'God with us')" Matthew 1:23.  God with us and God in us will be the light in a world filled with darkness...it's only love and it's only Him.

And yes my children are getting presents this year so no one panic...I said I felt that way I didn't say I actually followed through with it.

Merry Christmas y'all.