The Beautiful and the Hard . . .

Christ Born of Mary

2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest

⁸Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

¹⁵So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Jesus didn’t come to earth in a picture-perfect moment. Can you imagine? Mary . . . nine months pregnant, exhausted, uncomfortable, terrified, in pain . . . Joseph . . . frantic to find a place to rest before this baby, the Savior of the world, made His entrance. How they must’ve felt when they realized that only a stable would be available for the King of the Kings.

We so often romanticize Jesus’s birth. Mary sitting demurely, smiling without a care in the world. The baby Jesus, laying so perfectly peaceful in the manger. But I would imagine that like any new mother Mary felt all the things . . . awe and fear, tears and pain were all part of Jesus’s entrance in humanity. And then the shepherds came straight from the fields. The first people to worship the King of Kings, weren’t in fine apparel or bearing expensive gifts . . . those would come later . . . but the first were some of the humblest and the poorest, uneducated and unaccepted by society.

The first Christmas was hard and beautiful . . . perfectly imperfect . . . full of joy, but at the same time, full of questions without answers. That’s so much of life. Much like Mary and Joseph, we don’t see the big picture, the one-million-foot view. Maybe this Christmas you’re sitting in the hard and the beautiful. Full of joy, but also, full of questions. I don’t need to remind you that it’s not about the “picture-perfect” Christmas, the perfect gifts, the perfect house, the perfect family, the perfect decorations . . . all of that is fine. But it’s also okay to sit in the hard today. It’s okay if it’s not all perfect. If there are more questions than answers today.

I pray that today, and every day, you know you are loved by not only the King of Kings, but also, the Prince of Peace. That whatever your Christmas looks like, you feel the deep abiding peace and joy that can only come from knowing Him.

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

– Isaiah 9:6

“Good” Friday

If I’m telling the truth, I don’t feel like writing. Life has been tough lately. We’re facing some challenges in our family that are just hard, and I’m emotionally and physically worn out. I despise vague posts, comments, etc. . . . where people hint at problems but don’t reveal them. Having said that, I know that’s what I’m doing here. There will come a time when I share more about what is going on, but for now, it’s something that I’m keeping within the circle of those we know in “real life”.

But that doesn’t mean that I can’t share what I’m learning in this process.

I’m learning, not just in my head, but in my heart, that I serve a God that is faithful and trustworthy and good and loving. I “know” those things. I’ve been in church since I was a baby. I vividly remember being six years old, and one night, all alone, telling Jesus I wanted Him to live in my heart forever. I knew, I still know, He loved me enough to die for me . . . to sacrifice everything to forgive me of my sins. And yet, it’s in the face of one of the biggest tests and trials of my life that it truly becomes a reality. That I have to ask myself if I really believe He is everything He says He is. Am I going to trust my Savior? Not just as my Redeemer but also as my Healer. Do I really believe the Holy Spirit is my Comforter and Counselor? Do I truly understand that I serve a Heavenly Father that loves me infinitely and unconditionally? I don’t know that I’ll ever fully grasp all of that this side of Heaven, but I also know, He’s working in me. He’s transforming my heart day by day.

There was nothing seemingly “good” about Good Friday. Can you imagine the absolute oppression and depression, the disappointment and heartbreak, of the friends, family, and followers of Jesus? The darkness that seemed as if it would never lift . . . what they didn’t know or understand, is that while they were mourning and breaking under the weight of the most immense loss they had ever felt, God was at work. God is always at work. And Sunday was coming . . . Jesus was about to rise again. That’s the good news of the darkest day in the history of the world. Jesus is alive and seated at the right hand of the Father. We are deeply and intimately and unconditionally loved and understood. We are redeemed, and we are forgiven. We have a Savior . . . we have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide and comfort . . . we have our Heavenly Father who sees us and loves us. All we have to do is accept it.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Matthew 27:35-66

Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:

“They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

Pilate Sets a Guard

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”

Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

One Foot in Front of the Other

My husband pointed out to me the other day that it had been a very long time since I had written anything. The truth is February was a rough month in our house. I think we were all sick for some portion of the month. I had two different viruses over the course of a couple weeks, one that left me in bed for quite a few days which is unusual for me. Then just as we were coming out of February and into March, I was faced with some other health issues which, without going into a lot of detail, I’m still working and praying through and waiting to hear back on. Add to that, the normal chaos of our lives, and honestly, some days I’m doing good to just keep pushing forward.

All that to say, I have, for my entire life, had to fight hard against fear. If I’m honest there have been times, not just in the distant past, when I let fear settle in, and I started to spiral. I’m so thankful that I serve a Savior that rather than hold that against me, picks me up, and basically says, “Let’s try this again.”

This morning, as my youngest was getting ready to leave she said, “Mom, will you say my prayers with me?” This was something we used to do every morning on the way to school, but since my oldest started driving, my husband takes her to school now. I think most days they do pray, but he’s kind of taken over that morning role. So, when she asked today, I was happy to oblige. Part of that routine is praying scripture, and I know some people get all bent out of shape when it comes to taking scriptures (especially old testament scripture) and applying them to our lives now. Here’s where I’ve landed on that after a lot of time spent praying, I know for certain that God through the power of the Holy Spirit, has led me time and again to the book of Isaiah (to name just one of the places I’ve been led). I know that the book of Isaiah was written directly to and for the children of Israel, and yet Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God is not bound by time and place nor is His word, and while I thoroughly believe that understanding of the context and audience of a scripture or scriptures is very important, the Bible isn’t just a history lesson to be studied and learned from. It is active and alive. It is intimately, applicable to us today.

And so we said our prayers . . . we don’t pray all of these words from Isaiah 54:10-17, but we do pray a big chunk of them. I think Isaiah 54 is one of the most beautiful chapters in God’s word. It is speaking of the redemption of Israel, and yet, in it, we see mirrored our own redemption.

¹⁰ “For the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”
Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

¹¹ “O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
¹²I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
¹³All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
¹⁴In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
¹⁵Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.

¹⁶“Behold, I have created the blacksmith
Who blows the coals in the fire,
Who brings forth an instrument for his work;
And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
¹⁷No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

Over the past almost decade, God has drawn me back to these words over and over to remind me of who and whose I am. To remind me of Who He is. I don’t say them flippantly. I don’t see them as some hocus pocus incantation to get whatever I want. What I can say is that the same God that loves Israel with an everlasting love, loves me just as deeply and just as infinitely.

Fear is going to come, but we cannot let fear take hold. As someone who likes to be in control, this is hard for me, but I know the God of the universe is in control. It doesn’t mean that I don’t feel fear. It doesn’t mean that I love the uncertainty or don’t feel anxiety about the possible outcomes of what is ahead. What it means over and over, if I have to do it 1000 times a day and then 1000 times more, I will turn this back to God. I will press into His word and into Him. I will not, as much as I want to, hide under my actual or proverbial covers.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. – 2 Timothy 1:7

Here’s to 2024 . . .

Happy 2024 Y’all!

I’m sure I’m not the only one trying to wrap my head around that . . . 2024 . . . almost a quarter of the way into the 21st century. Like so many, I feel as if each year goes by just a little faster. It seems like just as quickly as we’re taking down our Christmas decorations and welcoming the new year, it’s time to put them back up and prepare to say goodbye to the old and usher in yet more new.

If you’ve read any of my past end of year/beginning of the new year musings, you know that I’m not a big fan of resolutions (if you haven’t read them and feel so inclined, they’re easy to find). For years and years, I didn’t like the start of the new year because it signaled the end of the Christmas season, it marked time flying by, and change coming at lightning speed. The past few years have seen a shift in my perception and thinking. I find myself welcoming the turning of the page into the next chapter . . . even if it seems to come all too quickly.

Instead of making resolutions or setting goals, I usually “pick” a scripture and a word to represent each year, and until this morning, I was without either. It’s not that I felt directionless or aimless or didn’t care. It’s actually quite the contrary. I feel like this year brings with it so much hope . . . 2023 was beautiful, full of adventures and fun and memories, but like every year, it also held some pretty profound grief and heartbreak. That’s the blessing of growing older, you know that joy and grief, hard and beautiful, can and do co-exist, and I look forward to continuing right where we left off with this busy, crazy, wonderful, and sometimes, challenging life God has given us. So, this morning I started out wondering if this would be the year with no resolutions, goals, words to live by, and no specific scripture . . . which let’s be real, I have an entire Bible full of specific scriptures. And then it occurred to me, I need to remain steady . . . I need to stay the course and keep on keepin’ on, if you will.

At the beginning of 2022, I landed on the word grace. I realized how desperately I not only needed it myself but needed to extend it to others. With that came the following scriptures:

“And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.” Daniel 2:21-22

AND

“Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.” Psalm 37:3-8

For 2023 I chose the word flexibility and realized that the quest for grace needed to continue. I also decided that I needed to focus both on Godly contentment and holy discontentment when and where it was appropriate.

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13

For 2024, I will be steady. I will continue to work toward being full of grace and flexibility. I will accept that right now, we’re in a very busy season of life, and that’s okay. That someday, in the not-so-distant future there will be major changes and shifts. One day, I will have more time on my hands. But for the moment I will embrace today. I will remember that whether life is calm or chaotic, I find my peace and rest, not in hours or days with nothing on my calendar but in my Savior, my Peace . . . the Holy Spirit, my Counselor and Comforter . . . in my Heavenly Father who loves, guides, and provides through it all.

“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:8-9

May 2024 be filled with joy despite grief, peace in the midst of turmoil, and a steadfastness that only comes from knowing Jesus as Savior.

Glory to God in the Highest!

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. – Luke 2:8-20

I keep coming back to the shepherds . . . lowly, probably dirty, out in the fields at night . . . not honored or revered or highly respected . . . they did nothing to earn His favor . . . nothing to deserve the visit from the multitude of angels heralding the birth of the Savior . . . and yet, they were the first to hear . . . the first to know . . . the first to worship. A Savior who by all rights should’ve been born in a palace . . . who deserved the most opulent, the most glorious, this earth had to offer . . . yet, He came . . . not in a palace as a king worshipped and honored by His subjects . . . instead as a babe, born amongst the animals, and laid in a manger, a trough . . .

I keep coming back to the shepherds . . . because like them, I’m undeserving . . . I haven’t earned it. I don’t deserve His love, His mercy, His grace, His redemption . . . none of us do, and yet here we are . . .

“Good tidings of great joy which will be to all people . . .”

He came for shepherds. He came for kings. He came for all people. How thankful I am for that babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. How grateful I am for the man He grew to be and the life He sacrificed so that I may live.

I’ve always been clear how much I love Christmas. I love every overrated, overdecorated, gloriously gawdy tree and decoration. I love the cheer and the music and all of it. But I never want anything to overshadow the Why the Who behind it all. I never want to get so wrapped up in the insanity and madness that I forget to give glory to my King. So, I come back to the shepherds on the that normal night that quickly turned to the most glorious and holy of nights. I come back to remember and rejoice just as they did on that blessed night.

O Holy Night

O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appears and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the Wise Men from Orient land
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is Peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us Praise His Holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim

Wherever this day finds you, may you find joy in peace in Jesus. The only reason we celebrate.

Tag: bible