Lost In the Prairies.....Found by God

This December has been one of many struggles for my family - depression, slipped disk, GSI, loss of assistance, etc...  It's getting to the point where even my friends are asking how much more can we take.   

It doesn't only feel like we are going through this either.  You only have to watch to news to see that things aren't right.  That people are struggling.  That hurt is abound.  That evil is attacking us.   After the shootings at Sandy Hook School, a friend questioned if this wasn't God's plan.  I don't believe it was.  God has a plan for each and every one of us.  Plans to prosper not to harm.  Plans with a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)  All of this isn't in God's plan.  God doesn't want us to hurt or be in pain.  All this is about darkness.

Christmas is about light.  We light a candle each week to represent - hope, love, joy, and peace.   These little flames represent the light that Christ brought to our world with His birth.  It's not about defeat or darkness.  But that's what the enemy wants us to believe.  He wants us to focus on despair and pain.  He wants us to focus on stress and crowds.  He wants us to focus on consumption and overindulgence.  He wants us to focus on Elf on the Shelf and not the missing baby in the Nativity Scene.  The enemy wants us to think that he's won.  

In the world we live in it's easy to fall into his trap.  Children killed.  Old hostilities ignited.  Politics over shadowing reconciliation.  Debt looming.  Countries close to bankruptcy.  People losing jobs.  I could go on.  It's to the point where I don't want to watch the news anymore.  There doesn't appear to be anything good in the world, if you believe the news makers.

But Love is alive in a breath.  A teacher sacrificing herself for her students.  Hope is alive in a simple random act of kindness of sharing a free coffee with the car behind you.  Peace is reflected in people gathering to help those who need help by providing food and necessities no matter their background or faith.  Joy is reflected in the eyes and giggle of child in the arms of a family member as they celebrate Jesus' birth.  The enemy hasn't won.  Christ's gift is still here.  

Earlier this year I read Ann Voskamp's A Thousand Gifts.   This book made me think of the little things instead of the big.  We all want to look for God in the larger things, but He is just as strong in the small.  Remember the mustard seed.  If we want to move the mountain we need to see him in the speck of dust around us.  We are looking for Him in a large light, but He's there in the lowly flame of a small candle.  We need to trust that He is there.  Because He is.

We are all facing the darkness instead of focusing on the light.  We have wandered and are now lost.  We need only to turn around and see the child lying in the manger to know who won and continues to fight on our behalf.  We need to focus on the light of the world who came out of darkness.

"Light of the World

Messy Mondays where I share what God has been showing me through the messiness of life.  It is my personal belief that this walk isn't clean and crisp and straight or narrow.  It's wide and twisted and mucky and messy.  It's about the ups and the downs, but through it all God is there with us.  

This week is the first week of Advent.  A time of preparation for the celebration of Jesus coming to us.  Today I was reminded that it is also a time of waiting.  We are waiting for Jesus' return.   We cry out " O Come, O Come Emmanuel"  come save us.  Come deliver us from our sufferings and our trials.  We cry out just as they have been crying out for the Saviour since the fall. 

O Come O Come Emmanuel is my favourite Christmas song.  It speaks to my yearning for Christ to come.  It speaks to not only my joy, but also my anguish and pain.  I yearn for His return and lament impatiently.

Today I am sharing Selah's version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel.  

Oh come, Oh come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

Oh come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Thy people with Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

Oh come, Thou rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'ver the grave

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!
Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

As you can see, there are many definitions of peace.   When people think of Peace, some think about freedom from war and hostilities.  Some think about reconciliation and hope.  Some think about things that keep us secure and safe in our daily lives.  Others think of the peace that we can feel and be.  

Many people look for it in all the wrong places.  They look for it in external things.  They seek it through meditation and false Gods.  They seek it through the Courts and the Law.  They look to it through military actions.  Where many cease to look for it is through is the only one who can give it. 

This week as we think of Peace, we can focus on Jesus who was born to bring us Peace.  Peace from wars, reconciliation with God, between ourselves and others; the Peace that we take for granted for living in our society and the Peace that passes all understanding that fills our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phillipians 4:7) - the Peace that only He can give us. 

I'm sharing today the Casting Crowns version of I Heard the Bells.  This song was originally written by Henry W. Longfellow.   He wrote the poem after losing his wife to a unfortunate accident and losing his son in the American Civil War.  He was filled with despair and hopelessness, however, still He looked to God for peace.  The place that we should all look to.

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth good will to men

And the bells are ringing
Like a choir they're singing
In my heart I hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men


And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men

But the bells are ringing
Like a choir singing
Does anybody hear them?
Peace on earth, good will to men

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men

Then ringing singing on its way

The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men

And the bells they're ringing
Like a choir they're singing
And with our hearts we'll hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

Do you hear the bells they're ringing?
The life the angels singing
Open up your heart and hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

Peace on earth, Peace on earth
Peace on earth, Good will to men

This week we are looking at love.  Not the passionate love  (Eros) of Valentines Day (which may or may not be a "Hallmark" holiday).  We are not going to be looking at Philia or friendship/brotherly love.  Although this is the type of love I have for all of you.  We are not going to be looking at love of family or our parents (Storge).  However, this is almost the type of love that Christmas represents.   We are going to be looking at Agape.  The love that God has for each of us.  The charitable, selfless, alturistic, unconditional kind of love.  The true love that only God has as He is perfect. 

He doesn't have any motives for loving us, He loves each of us just because.  One of my favourite lines in a movies is "No, I like you very much. Just as you are." (from Bridget Jones' Diary).  Not thinner, smarter, holier, happier, ...., God loves you "Just as you are."  He wouldn't have you any other way.   In fact, God loves us just the way we are so much that He sacrificed His one and only Son on our behalf to save us.  I know this isn't something we think about during the Christmas season, but think, that little baby in the manger died for each of us.  That is the ultimate sacrificial love that only God can give.  This kind of love amazes me.

I know I've shared this song on my blog before, but I had to share it with you today.  It isn't really isn't a Christmas song, but I think it's totally relevant with the Advent theme of Love. 

Whisper in my ear
Tell me one more time
the words i long to hear
that i, i am forgiven

hold me in your arms
draw me next to you
safely by your side
i know i am forgiven

and i will never truly know
just why you love me lord
i am so broken and so desperate
still you love me more
lord, i love your amazing love

there's a beauty in the way
you cherish and embrace me
in all my brokeness i know
i am forgiven

and i will never truly know
just why you love me lord
i am so broken and so desperate
still you love me more
lord, i love your amazing love

and i lift my hands
in worship at your throne
and i raise my heart
so thankful lord for what you've done