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A Glory Seed Devotional planted for the Greater Glory of God
Christmas Magic…
This morning during my meditation time I found myself face-to-face with something that makes Christmas a season of hope. And because it is a been-there-experienced-that experience it affixed its reality in me. Here in part is what I read. “Christmas hurts. “The most wonderful time of the year” is not for many people. And all the sentiment and smiles we can muster do nothing to dull the pain; they merely mask it… It is no merry Christmas for these, and they are all around us. They are us. We mask it well because, after all, Christmas cheer is the name of the game. But our rote renditions of carols, festooned homes, softly lit trees, delightful baked goods offer no solace. They are reminders of happiness that the hurting cannot feel.”” (Vyrso Advent Reflections Blog)
It is a stark reminder of the third verse in Longfellow’s Christmas Hymn I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, “And in despair I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said ‘For hate is strong, and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men.’”
I understand where the author of the Vyrso Blog is trying to get across but I have to disagree with him on the last two sentences, “But our rote renditions of carols, festooned homes, softly lit trees, delightful baked goods offer no solace. They are reminders of happiness that the hurting cannot feel.” Because for me (at least) those very things are symbols of hope, not hope that the hurts of Christmas will disappear but hope in the awesome fact that the Prince of Peace is here not just in the world but in our lives as well. And when the voices of Christmas hurts try to drown out the sounds of Christmas Hope the Bells of Christmas… “Then peeled the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail… Till, ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day A voice, a chime, a chant sublime, Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Christmas is a magical time of the year but its magic isn’t a disappearing act where all the negative stuff of life suddenly vanishes before our eyes. The Christmas Magic lies in a Supernatural God who’s Supernatural Love offers us the Gift of Presence in the one we call Jesus!
Come LORD Jesus, come!
Anticipate! Experience! Believe! Be transformed!
Grace and PEACE, Amen!
Gary
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4, NCV)
Note: Should you want to go back and review this Glory Seed or if you’d like to subscribe so you can receive them in your email you can do so by clicking on this link: http://gloryseeds.wordpress.com/.
"Scriptures quoted from The Holy Bible, New Century Version, copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, Dallas, Texas 75039. Used by permission."
A Glory Seed Devotional planted for the Greater Glory of God
Christmas Magic…
This morning during my meditation time I found myself face-to-face with something that makes Christmas a season of hope. And because it is a been-there-experienced-that experience it affixed its reality in me. Here in part is what I read. “Christmas hurts. “The most wonderful time of the year” is not for many people. And all the sentiment and smiles we can muster do nothing to dull the pain; they merely mask it… It is no merry Christmas for these, and they are all around us. They are us. We mask it well because, after all, Christmas cheer is the name of the game. But our rote renditions of carols, festooned homes, softly lit trees, delightful baked goods offer no solace. They are reminders of happiness that the hurting cannot feel.”” (Vyrso Advent Reflections Blog)
It is a stark reminder of the third verse in Longfellow’s Christmas Hymn I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, “And in despair I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said ‘For hate is strong, and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men.’”
I understand where the author of the Vyrso Blog is trying to get across but I have to disagree with him on the last two sentences, “But our rote renditions of carols, festooned homes, softly lit trees, delightful baked goods offer no solace. They are reminders of happiness that the hurting cannot feel.” Because for me (at least) those very things are symbols of hope, not hope that the hurts of Christmas will disappear but hope in the awesome fact that the Prince of Peace is here not just in the world but in our lives as well. And when the voices of Christmas hurts try to drown out the sounds of Christmas Hope the Bells of Christmas… “Then peeled the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail… Till, ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day A voice, a chime, a chant sublime, Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Christmas is a magical time of the year but its magic isn’t a disappearing act where all the negative stuff of life suddenly vanishes before our eyes. The Christmas Magic lies in a Supernatural God who’s Supernatural Love offers us the Gift of Presence in the one we call Jesus!
Come LORD Jesus, come!
Anticipate! Experience! Believe! Be transformed!
Grace and PEACE, Amen!
Gary
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4, NCV)
Note: Should you want to go back and review this Glory Seed or if you’d like to subscribe so you can receive them in your email you can do so by clicking on this link: http://gloryseeds.wordpress.com/.
"Scriptures quoted from The Holy Bible, New Century Version, copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, Dallas, Texas 75039. Used by permission."