So many have different emotions attached to Christmas and for many, they are NOT all positive. Past situations or current circumstances that seem to make this a difficult or painful time of year instead of a joyful and peaceful time. Instead of it being a gift it has become a burden. I have this longing that it could be a time of healing, a time of renewed hope, a time to refocus on what is important and a time to realize all the possibilities that lay ahead – the future is bright!. Maybe just maybe, we can find PEACE and JOY even in the midst of our pain or loss.

Christmas is becoming more and more this overwhelming sense of how God Came Near for ME – He loves me so much that He sent Jesus as a GIFT – So that I might be might be able to say “ALL IS WELL” – not because everything is as I desire or want them to be but ALL IS WELL because Jesus is on the scene – He is present and His presence in my life makes all the difference and is the game changing factor in EVERY situation that I am currently facing, have faced or may face in the year to come.

We were singing a Christmas carol at a tree lighting on Sunday and it was one of my favorites – Joy to the World – the first part of the song goes something like this:

Joy to the world! The Lord has come
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room

It reminded me of what I can do – Receive the gift – Him – (that’s it! No other requirements)! Prepare room for Him in my life. Making room for Him to come in to make the difference only He can make. See, He came to bring comfort for pain, joy in the midst of sadness, peace in the storms, freedom from fear, love instead of hate, forgiveness and mercy in place of condemnation, reconciliation and a new way to live in this world and the gift of life, saving me from myself and the sin that trips me up and the weight of it that slows me down. Not to be overcome but to be overcoming in this life. His desire is for ME and YOU! He just wants us – as we are, in the midst of all our “stuff” – He is not worried about the things we don’t have all together. He is enough for all of the missing pieces in my life – He fills in all the spaces and the gaps. I may not have all the answers to all the questions out there but I have found that with Him in my life and journey, I don’t have to! I am finding that trying to answer all the why’s is tiring and overwhelming. Living with Jesus as the author of my story makes my life worth living.

I love Christmas, its my favorite holiday of all time – I love the songs, the stories, the Christmas movies, the gifts, the food, the decorations, my family together and I love the nostalgia I have when we celebrate our family traditions, new and old ones. I am hoping that you and I can find Him in the midst of it all and prepare a place for Jesus – making room for Him in our lives in a bigger way than ever before.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!