It's Christmas Time!

And so...it's Christmas time! A time set aside for us to reflect on the beautiful night long ago when our Savior was born to bring love, joy and peace to us. I will admit that I often see things differently than others, but I love looking for hidden messages and seeing what no one else even looks for! I blame the childhood magazine 'Highlights' for that. =D

I’m sure it was a beautiful night, clear, dark, blue skies, gold stars twinkling like diamonds in the sky, cool, crisp air filled with promise and hope. An unexplained tingle in the air for those who did not know all that was going on. You’ve seen the images of perfection portrayed on Christmas cards, paper plates, gift bags, hand painted ornaments and glazed pottery…all topped off with a sheen of angelic light.

But I’m a realist and I can’t help but wonder if on THAT night…The exact night that Jesus was born….would Mary have described it so? Let’s look at the facts: At a very young age Mary finally comes of the end of what was culturally a suspicious, ridiculed and likely hidden pregnancy and is told that Joseph, out of concern for she and the baby, does not want to leave her in Nazareth while he travels to Bethlehem for the census because the baby would most likely be born while he was away. So she travels with him at approximately 37 weeks pregnant …on a donkey…across hills, down into river valleys, for 100 miles…on a donkey…for 2-3 weeks, wearing some type of muslin that did not contain any spandex or lycra for stretching purposes or fleece for warmth... on a donkey...knocking on all the doors of inns and being led to an area fit only for smelly animals...laboring on hay with no Demerol, no epidural, no episiotomy! Compare that to today when they won’t even let you fly or drive long distances if you are beyond 30 weeks?

We know that Mary was very devout in her faith, and sincere in her love for her Lord, but she was also human and I am relatively certain that the pain of delivering a baby has not changed over time. Which leads me to wonder if she would she have described the inconvenience, discomfort and accommodations that could only be described as “one ‘star’” as “Beautiful”?

As I contemplated that question, I began to remember a few “beautiful nights” in my life. Here are two:

Ed and I were married in 1989 and moved to Houston three months after we married. Our first son was born four years later. My pregnancy with him was not remarkable in any special way. I quit my job 3 weeks before he was born to get everything ready for his arrival. I had back labor for several hours before I was given my epidural. Josiah did not respond well to the medication being administered through the epidural. I can still hear the beeping of my babies heart monitor slowing down at a frightening rate that caused everyone in the room to move in to hyper-drive. Within 4 minutes, I had been prepped for an emergency C-section and Josiah had been taken out of my belly and whisked away. I remember waiting to hear the ear-piercing cry of my newborn. Suddenly the lovely sound of life emanated from the corner of the room. Throughout the entire ordeal, I was calm, and very aware of the prayers that were being offered up on our behalf in the waiting room.

On March 11, 2009. Ed and I celebrated our 20th anniversary. Without my knowing, Ed had arranged for us to return to the same hotel…same room...in which we spent our honeymoon (yes, we are detail people). To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. Walking back into that room, which by the way had been re-decorated and updated, was like stepping back into time. It was emotionally over-whelming. It really was as if a movie of all of our 'beautiful nights' over the past twenty years flashed before my eyes: Get married. Move to Houston. Learn how to live with a 28 yr. old neat freak who has strong preferences for how things are done. Have one baby boy. Learn to parent with a man who was not raised like I was and defines parenting differently than I do. Oh yeah…die to my rights. Discover how hard it was to be a mom and a wife. Have another baby boy. Struggle with my sense of self worth as a stay at home mom. Die, again, to my rights. Lose my father in law to cancer. Question every thought I’ve had about God. Lay down my need to understand. Move to DFW. What? Homeschool?... But the music that played in the background as the movie raced by was not frantic like the moving pictures…it was a gentle, hushed melody of serenity.

You see Mary and I had something in common…a word from God…a promise that brought PEACE to us in the middle of situations that were at times uncomfortable and challenging.

The peace that Mary had was because of the THE word (John 1:14…word became flesh) from God she carried that gave her purpose through His promise. That sustained her through the suspicion, the 100 mile donkey trip and barnyard delivery. In Luke 1:28 we read that an angel went to her and said “Greetings, you who are highly favored? The Lord is with you.” She knew she was not alone, or experiencing difficulty outside of His plan for her life.

My promise for Josiah’s life came in the form of a written prophetic word, given to us by a close family friend. It stated very clearly that “the enemy’s attempt to snatch the seed, would not prevail and the child would grow to become a mighty Man of God”. I remember thinking those words as the organized chaos ensued around me. My God had spoken and I KNEW my child would live.

The background music that played as 20 years of 'beautiful nights' flashed by was not frantic because of the promise I had from God regarding my marriage. You see being the good pastor and wife that we were when we married, we actually went to church, on our honeymoon, on a Sunday night! We honeymooned in San Antonio and the man who had preached the night Ed got saved, was pastoring a church there. Ed thought it would be nice to see him and hear him preach again. However when we arrived, we were told that they had a special guest speaker…and we stayed??? We were told he would speak on prophecy…which to me meant a boring sermon about the end of time from the book of Revelation! My attitude began to go south at this point, because I could think of much better things to do on my honeymoon, than hear about the end of time. I remember sitting through the sermon thinking that nothing he said made any sense to me and certainly did not sound like an end time message. Then for his conclusion he said he would now demonstrate what he had been speaking about. He asked if there was a couple from LA, on their honeymoon, in the crowd. We stood up thinking we were being ‘punked’. He began to tell us things about our lives that no one in that room could have known and ultimately told us that our marriage would be the fulfillment of what our parents marriages were not. So throughout any difficult season in our marriage, I’ve held on to that promise and with it, God has seen me through.

We have peace because we have promise.

Do you have a word from God that has not been fulfilled completely? Do you have a promise from God’s Word? Here are a few promises that should bring us great peace.

Psalm 91:14-16 Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.

Isaiah 43:1b-3a Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord you God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness

Isaiah 54:10 (Amplified Bible) For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them, I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

The benefit of focusing on these and other promises is...

John 14:27 (New King James Version)
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid

Here’s what God’s peace looks like:

Philippians 4:7 (Amplified Bible) And God's peace shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so, fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount a guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

And so really, I just want to encourage you to find the beauty in your circumstance. Whether you are struggling with life right now or not. Look beyond your wealth and success or look beyond your discomfort and inconvenience BUT focus on the promises of God. Remember that it is Promise that brings Peace. Hold fast to the promises He has given. If you don’t feel like you have a promise…read your Bible. I just shared a few that are in there. If you want a more personal ‘word’ from God…ask for it! Always remember that He knows what you are feeling, and experiencing. He cares and LOVES you more than you can ever comprehend.

Oh! and Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas! =D