Have you ever spent time really thinking about the reality of the nativity story?
Like the logistics of having a baby, as a teenager, in a barn, after riding a donkey for what, 3 days? I won't get into it, but come on...just think about it.
Today I was hit by another reality of this glorious moment in history. It came from listening to Christ centered Christmas songs.
The First Noel:
"They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night"
O Holy Night:
"A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees"
Let's think about this... it's been 400 years of what seems like silence (from Malachi to Matthew) and trudging along, keeping the promise of a coming Savior alive.
Take a second and put yourself here.
How often do we tire in our waiting for a promise, or for a breakthrough, or for a hope to be realized? GENERATIONS have waited... have hoped to get to be alive to see this long promised Savior.
That silence, that deferred hope, that waiting and wondering... it resonates with me, deeply.
When I truly grasped this reality, it hit me hard.
Can you feel the thrill of hope at the Savior's birth? Can you imagine being one of that weary world? Can you imagine what that next morning would feel like? Waking up to a new world? One LITERALLY FILLED WITH HOPE!! One would HAVE to fall on your knees.
And then to have such a far reaching sign. A star, so bright you can see it in the day time!! Reality check, no lights...EVERYWHERE is dark on the night of Christ's birth. And then FLASH! Then this star appears. Sometimes I have wondered, how did these "wise men" see one star and decide it needed to be followed like a rainbow w/a pot of gold? Well, one word, reality! The only lights at night are what fires are lit and the moon and stars. And to have a star so bright you can see it in the day, suddenly flash in the sky, who could miss that?
Let's just think about this... From a weary world, full of darkness to one filled with hope and dazzled by light. My heart swells, I can't help but get choked up and feel so blessed to be one who not only understands, but believes and walks in this hope, light and love every moment.
Please take a moment to let the reality of our Savior's birth sink in. Sing these songs of stories with your children, it's not just a "birthday party" for baby Jesus, it's a celebration of a new world, a new life and all consuming HOPE!!!
family
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Monday, August 13, 2018
grief
I don't claim to be an expert on grief. I don't have all the answers or the right words to say in those times of loss and crushing pain.
But I have walked through it myself and with friends.
The tragic death of a teens mother and the unknowing if she was saved.
The death of 3 of my grandparents and watching my parents walking through it. Both sudden and anticipated passings.
My father-in-law and the layers of grief my in-laws, husband, my daughter and I go through.
Friends of friends.
Children of friends.
Tragic sudden deaths and longer, sometimes painful deaths that we knew were coming.
In each situation I always go back to that first one I listed.
It was when I was in college and I was the youth leader of this sweet and tender hearted teen.
Through that excruciating and impossible situation I learned so much about grief and the importance of it.
We are mortal, we all will die. If we are saved by the one true savior, we need not fear death and what comes next. But that does not automatically make it easier, especially for those left behind.
I have come to a place of having a way of supporting and loving those who are going through the throws of grief.
1. Be there for them. Often it's not what you say, but that you are there. You listen and do not judge, you be a safe person for them to vent, question, scream, sob, or maybe cuss at/with. So often when people are grieving they struggle to feel free to really grieve and that will usually lead to a meltdown at some point. Honestly, the meltdowns will come no matter what, but giving the room to feel and the safety to do so is so very helpful.
2. Remind them to feel. Encourage them to grieve. Most of us know the stages of grief and that road is important to go through. But that's not the entirety of it. Once you have lost someone, you will always feel it. No matter how much time passes. 12 years later you could be at the store and pick up a cookie and think, "this was their favorite." and the tears will come and the hurt will feel fresh. To grieve is to remember and to love. Let yourself grieve.
3. Remind them to give themselves and others grace. No one grieves the same or in the same time frame. There will be days it cripples you and others it may be more of a cloud on a sunny day. We don't dictate how our hearts grieve. We can control how we respond. So respond with grace.
4. Talk about the person who is gone. To be immortal your story must be told. People must keep you alive by retelling your stories. A person's life has so many facets and touches people in so many ways. One story can have more than 2 sides and effect people in ways you'd never know. The story you share could mean the world to someone else who is grieving too. My children will never know their Papa. They will only know the stories we tell, the photos and videos we show. Those of us left behind, we must keep the memory alive. We must tell the good and the bad, to learn from, to honor and remember those who are gone.
5. Pray for peace.
If you or someone you know is grieving this season, I want you to know that there is a peace that can help you through this. You simply must ask. I pray that each person who reads this will feel the peace that only God brings and the love He gives so freely.
But I have walked through it myself and with friends.
The tragic death of a teens mother and the unknowing if she was saved.
The death of 3 of my grandparents and watching my parents walking through it. Both sudden and anticipated passings.
My father-in-law and the layers of grief my in-laws, husband, my daughter and I go through.
Friends of friends.
Children of friends.
Tragic sudden deaths and longer, sometimes painful deaths that we knew were coming.
In each situation I always go back to that first one I listed.
It was when I was in college and I was the youth leader of this sweet and tender hearted teen.
Through that excruciating and impossible situation I learned so much about grief and the importance of it.
We are mortal, we all will die. If we are saved by the one true savior, we need not fear death and what comes next. But that does not automatically make it easier, especially for those left behind.
I have come to a place of having a way of supporting and loving those who are going through the throws of grief.
1. Be there for them. Often it's not what you say, but that you are there. You listen and do not judge, you be a safe person for them to vent, question, scream, sob, or maybe cuss at/with. So often when people are grieving they struggle to feel free to really grieve and that will usually lead to a meltdown at some point. Honestly, the meltdowns will come no matter what, but giving the room to feel and the safety to do so is so very helpful.
2. Remind them to feel. Encourage them to grieve. Most of us know the stages of grief and that road is important to go through. But that's not the entirety of it. Once you have lost someone, you will always feel it. No matter how much time passes. 12 years later you could be at the store and pick up a cookie and think, "this was their favorite." and the tears will come and the hurt will feel fresh. To grieve is to remember and to love. Let yourself grieve.
3. Remind them to give themselves and others grace. No one grieves the same or in the same time frame. There will be days it cripples you and others it may be more of a cloud on a sunny day. We don't dictate how our hearts grieve. We can control how we respond. So respond with grace.
4. Talk about the person who is gone. To be immortal your story must be told. People must keep you alive by retelling your stories. A person's life has so many facets and touches people in so many ways. One story can have more than 2 sides and effect people in ways you'd never know. The story you share could mean the world to someone else who is grieving too. My children will never know their Papa. They will only know the stories we tell, the photos and videos we show. Those of us left behind, we must keep the memory alive. We must tell the good and the bad, to learn from, to honor and remember those who are gone.
5. Pray for peace.
If you or someone you know is grieving this season, I want you to know that there is a peace that can help you through this. You simply must ask. I pray that each person who reads this will feel the peace that only God brings and the love He gives so freely.
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