Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Christmas brings with it great meaning and for some great difficulty.  It's the time when our losses are are heart felt once more, and the changes that have come with those losses, are emphasized.  This is especially true when attending family gatherings and parties, or in some cases being alone. For me, the reminder of what Christmas is really about, makes the difference between sadness and peace.

I find it interesting that in the Christmas carol "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," it speaks of "tidings of comfort and joy." Comfort is what it brings to me, that God loved us so much that He sent a part of Himself as a man to save us all. There is a  wonderful assurance of heaven after this short life, in which we will all be fully healed in His presence. There were times when I felt mad at God for what he let me go through in my life, but look at what Jesus went through in His life.  Absolutely nothing was for Him, it was all for us, people who were ungrateful and didn't deserve it.  God made us all as we are, illnesses and all, for a reason, which we will surely never know.  What I have learned is that he uses everything for the good (Romans 8:28), and that His plan for us is ultimately for good (Jeremiah 29:11.)

Christmas brings mixed feelings to many of us, but going to God with all these feelings brings such a sense of peace, and yes comfort to me.  What about you?

This Christmas, I wish you all "tidings of comfort and joy."

Merry Christmas!

If

Sometimes it takes just one simple but thought provoking sentence to change your perspective.  Three days ago, that happened for me, and this sentence has stuck with me ever since.  The sentence was, "If all you had today was everything you thanked God for yesterday, how much would you have?"  What this question made me think about was all the things that I don't think to thank God for.  There is much that I tend to take for granted that many do not have.  I believe, that if I were to make a list of everything there was to be grateful for, it would take a very long time to finish it.

Isn't it funny how sometimes, when we need it most, we hear or see the very thing we need right at that time?  I have had multiple issues to deal with recently that have been very difficult, and are not going to resolve overnight.  When my mind fully embraces gratitude, it gives me strength and peace.  It's like a finding a bright, warm flame in the darkness. Everything I have and all I am are from God. They are His to give and His to take away; it's so easy to forget that.  Every morning, I am now taking a few minutes to embrace my blessings, and it seems to be making life easier to deal with and to be changing how I view everything..

Thank you Lord, for all You are, for all You have made of me, and all you have given to me.  Thank you for embracing me with Your incredible love. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Cry Out To Jesus

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus
~"Cry Out To Jesus" by Third Day


Grieving is a process we go through when we feel loss in our lives.  Although we associate grieving with loss of a loved one, grieving also takes place when we feel any loss in our lives.  Examples of this would be loss of dream, a relationship, a job, an illness, the list goes on. Change can cause us to grieve, even when we know that it is a good change; it still causes us to leave our comfort zone.

How do you deal with grief?  Do you try to stay overly busy and avoid feeling it?  Do you sink into the depths of despair?  Do you get angry and look for someone to blame?  All of these are normal reactions to grief.  So what is the best way to get through it?  What does God have to say about this?  The Word, and reaching harder and more often to Him helps me the most.  Below I will share some of the passages that speak to me about grieving.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4
"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you, he will never let the righteous fall" Psalm 55:22.
"Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and .   learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matthew 11:25-30.

What these passages say to me is that we are to bring our grief to the Lord, and he will take it on himself. The emotions and reactions that weigh us down will be lifted from us when we ask Jesus to do so.  Although the grieving process is still there, it isn't as difficult to bear.

"Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5
"Do you not know, have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:18-31
"The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on her ruins, he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.  Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing."  Isaiah 51:3

What do these passages say to you?  What they say to me is that there is hope, that God has compassion for us and that He will make us even better than before.  It is easy to reach for what is physically near us, but our true comfort and hope lies with our God.  I try to remember and think of him as "my God"; He cares that much for me.  It is hard when we want immediate feelings of relief to go to Him, since sometimes his answers take some time to see.  When I take the time and make it a priority, going to Him in prayer and in the Word ultimately is the most healing and comforting of all.  What passages speak to you and provide the most comfort and hope to you?

He Is Strong In Our Weakness

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.   ~2 Corinthians 8-10

Feelings of weakness and vulnerability are very difficult for me to handle.  I want to feel on top of my game, like I have things under control!  In the above passage the apostle Paul is talking about the "thorn" that God left him with.  Many speculate as to what that thorn might be, but one thing is clear.  It left him weak, taught Him to depend on God in a whole different way, and to always know how small he was and how large God is.  It gave him humility.

What does this mean to you and I?  What did it mean to Paul, who was one of God's chosen ones?  Although I do not have to choose to wear a label, I believe God wants me to be transparent, to let people see the weaknesses I want so much to cover up.  I think there is no better testimony to others of the power of Christ than for people to see him working in our lives, and yes in our weakness, in which He is strong.

What do you think?

Let The Light Shine Through

"So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them"

From "Stained Glass Masquerade"
by Casting Crowns

It never ceases to amaze me the way each time I open up with someone about something in my life that I normally keep private, the person I shared it with will often make a similarly surprising revelation.  In those too often infrequent exchanges we learn who the real person is beneath the protective veneer that so many of us hide behind.  One wonders if everyone is playing a part, how do we ever really get to know each other?  How can one love anything more than the surface person they're able to see?  Even more so, how can one feel loved when people aren't loving them but a veneer that does not reflect the inside.

As children of God, The Almighty loves us just as we are.  After all, he created us and made each of us a unique individual with our own strengths, weaknesses and talents.  For those of us who have a mental illness or love someone who does, we need to remember that God loves us completely and unconditionally! There is nothing to be ashamed of. We may each have our own set of challenges, but with Jesus in our hearts, he can shine through us to others.  The only way to do that is to stop hiding and give God the reins.  He will give us what we need to get where he wants us to be, according to his will. 

My favorite part of being in a support group and small group in church is seeing people open up and let others in.  I feel so much more comfortable when I can see a person's human or vulnerable side;  the one that makes as many mistakes and feels as insecure as I do sometimes.  As the stanza above states, "I will play the part again, so everyone sees me the way I see them."  Where does the roleplaying end?  When someone who cares asks how we are, why not tell the truth?  I have always found that what speaks of my Christianity more than anything, isn't what I say, nor is it hiding behind a mask and appearing to be something I'm not. What speaks to people the most is what I allow people to see, the mistakes, thee problems and the ways Jesus sees me through the really hard times. When people allow me a glimpse of Jesus in them, and the grace by which He does bring them through it reinforces my own faith.  I only hope that I can do that for others.

I have such a long way to go.  I walk in mercy and grace with Jesus in me.  My God is everything good in me and has given me everything good in my life. Looking back, I think that the weird or strange kids were really just willing to drop the veneer. I think I can safely that I am "cracked,” and I hope to always allow the light of Jesus to shine through my many cracks.  I can trust Him, he knows the best way.