Christmas Carol Contemplations: What Child is This?

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5

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While others are rejoicing in the merriment of the season there are those who are mourning, alone or suffering from depression. For some the sparkling lights, parties and Christmas experiences highlight their pain.


Ironically Christmas Carols and Hymns have been one of the weapons in my arsenal for over 20 years as I've learned how, with God's Grace, to subdue depression when it tries to rally against me. There have been seasons in my life where listening to Christmas songs would give me courage and hope which is why my friends know I listen to them throughout the year when necessary.

It turns out that I'm not the only one who has found Hope through the meditations of Emmanuel's journey from heaven to earth to be with us.

The author of today's hymn almost lost his life to illness as a young man and his convalescence included experiencing depression in the following months. His response was to turn to scripture in search of truth and hope during his spiritual crisis. His search eventually led to his recovery and beautiful poetry later put to song.(For more read devotion at this link.)

Because I know the lyrics already I prefer this version by Lindsey Sterling

for the beauty, delicacy and emotion of it. In my heart I hear the words

 but I posted another one below in case you weren't familiar with the lyrics.

My prayer today: What child is this in Mary's lap is sleeping? It is you, Emmanuel. You who came to bring Hope and Light to darkened hearts. Help me to see You today and see your Light which has overcome the darkness. Use me to share your light with those around me.

Not settling for my own...

The prayers of a righteous man avail much (powerful and effective) (James 5:16).

 If the righteousness James is discussing was really my own then it wouldn't result in much at all- my righteousness is like filthy rags. However, it's not my own righteousness he is talking about but Christ's righteousness that I wear as a robe because I am a believer.

Christ's righteousness is like a blazing sun. When I pray, wearing the robes of Christ's righteousness that every believer is given through faith and grace, I can partner with God to usher in His will into this world and establish His kingdom now.

So pray for each other! It matters, it makes a difference. It's God's design that we ask Him to establish His kingdom in each other's lives. A kingdom of life that can affect our work, our home, our relationships. Our health, our daily duties and tasks. Our dreams, our cares, our concerns.

Not that we are asking Him to impose our will on our day but that we might welcome His will into our day.

And how much more will be affected in myself and in my life if I welcome His will into it rather then settle for my own will.

Literally Speaking: Ahab is to Moby Dick as Life is to Me

So I have another idea for some themed essays called "Literally Speaking" that will use some of my favorite literature to talk about...well, me. Me and life. Me and God. Me and meaningful stuff I'm sure. So this is the first one and it was originally posted on a Christian writer's blog called "Baaaaa- Bleats from God's sheep." The link for the whole thing can be found here...http://www.baaaaa.com. I would love it if you left a comment there or here but no obligation.***This site no longer exists but was a wonderful experience for me as a person trying to improve as a writer. I am forever grateful to my editor there, Catherine Fruisen (a.k.a. Violet Lemay)

Sometimes in life I feel like the Great White Whale being pursued relentlessly by Ahab. Tangled by ropes with harpoons piercing my side I plow through the ocean of life trying to take down my enemy and survive.

 

                Dramatic, I know. True?  Somewhat, not completely but that’s how I feel.  I’m exiting one of these literary inspired seasons right now. They usually start the same way.  A sudden increase in pesky gnat like annoyances and responsibilities I can’t hand off to someone else.  Not major problems, just a swarm of regular life tasks that must be dealt with all at once.  This is typically accompanied by a large number of people who need my help to accomplish their goals or fix their problems.  Then, when I’m not looking because I’m so busy with my ‘to do’ list, I hear, “Whale Ho!” and a harpoon pierces my hide.

 

                Harpoons take me by surprise either because of their mass or because of their tragic nature. They knock the wind out of me and this is usually when I can get into trouble. Like Melville’s whale I have a natural tendency to believe I have to take car life’s cares and tragedies on my own. That is my biggest mistake. I might as well post an “Open Season on Whales” sign.

 

                This is where the analogy falls apart. The reality is that I am not a lone beast out in the world being hunted by an evil maniacal hunter bent on my destruction with no recourse but to lash out and fight to survive or die trying.  The truth is I am not alone.  I am not responsible for taking out my enemy or deflecting the harpoons of life on my own.  I am much more than an animal that wanders through life on instinct but I sometimes live as if I believe this. 

 

I try to be my own source of life and strength.  It might seem to work for a little while but it doesn’t take long to find myself depleted like a branch cut off from a vine.  The flower blooms for a time but without the source of life that flows through the vine I soon wither and fade.

 

Jesus said he could do nothing apart from his father (John 5:19).  Nothing.  Author of Life.  Bright and Morning Star. Conqueror of Death. And he said he can do nothing if he is apart from the Father.  So why is it I live as if I can do what he couldn’t?  Somewhere along the way I forget what I know is true.

 

 "I am the true vine … remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” John 15:1, 4-6

 

And then it happens.  I hear His voice.  I’m nudged.  Reminded.  Maybe even knocked in the head really hard.  He gets my attention and I remember that life separated from him is more than lonely it is unnecessarily lifeless.  But when I surrender my mind, my will to him and say, “I give you everything. Even my inability to know how to live as the branch connected to you,” I receive a fresh flow of his life giving Spirit. I am no longer the whale thrashing in the sea but I am surrounded by an ocean of Peace. The whaling boats are on the surface but I am surrounded by him.

 

Now I find myself entering a season marked more by dependence and surrender than independence and striving.  Chances are at some point I will find myself being pursued again. Maybe next time it won’t take so many harpoons to remind me to dive deeper into his sea of life.

Too read the whole essay go to http://baaaaa.com/2012/10/16/ahab-is-to-moby-dick-as-life-is-to-me/

The day after...

Happy day after Resurrection Day!

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Jesus' friends the day after the first Easter? Death has lost it's sting. The despair of a promise destroyed replaced with the hope of a future you never imagined possible.

Mystery, questions, uncertainty still abound but the hope of the truth of Christ brings an anchor to our rocking boat. We may not know with certainty what today or tomorrow may bring. We may not have assurance that our plans will come out as we have planned. But the 'plan' is not what we pin our hopes to. He has proven He is God and He has proven He loves US. Rest there a moment.

He loves you.

So if today brings calamity or if our plans end in what we see as failure the truth does not change.

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He is God.
He loves me.
He is with me and He has not failed.

This is what I believe and it is the hope I cling to when the sun shines and when the night is dark. Easter has proven it.

I pray we are filled with the supernatural Hope that Christ has given us. I pray our mind is anchored to the Truth that His resurrection has assured. I pray we believe He loves us because what we believe is what we live. And to Him who is eternal be glory and honor forever. Amen.

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:5 

Break Up Lines

Break up lines

come from my lips

applying to the state of us.

"We've drifted apart,"

seems appropriate

but more honestly,

"It's not you, it's me."

You haven't gone anywhere,

Pursuer of my soul,

but I have.

Without going anywhere,

I have.

I feel this way sometimes about God. "Where have you gone?" is the question asked and felt but really I'm asking myself the question. He hasn't gone anywhere. Somewhere I slipped on the slopes of mundane and mediocrity. The everyday living of life without intentionality and purpose leads me to those slopes. Fortunately I don't slip too far off the mountain. It helps that he's holding his staff down to me to pull me back up. Renewed in my heart with the fresh memory of my inability to lead myself rightly I live purposefully and intentionally. Until I slip off the slope again. Usually because I got off his back. There I go again thinking I can lead myself but there he is again ready to carry me.