Laced With Grace

During the Christmas season, we use more lights (or representations of light) as decorations than any other time of year.  Candles, fireplaces, stars, little lanterns, and strings of lights adorn our trees and home in festive colors to celebrate the coming of The Morning Star.  Jesus called Himself the Light of the world and then He told us to shine our lights brightly for Him and this time of year provides many opportunities to do that.

What does Jesus mean when He calls Himself the light of the world?  Why does He use this imagery?  First, we have to think about what darkness is.  Darkness creates confusion.  In the dark you are unable to see your surroundings and may not know what something is and it keeps us ignorant of truth.  Darkness causes fear.  All little children are afraid of the dark because every shadow can become a monster when you can’t really see what is true!  What does light do?  It eliminates confusion.  It clarifies the truth. It shows us the way (sun in the day or stars at night-like a map leading us in the right direction).   Light makes fear flee. 

Light has power to lead us on the path in safety and to show us truth, which is exactly what Jesus does.  He is brightly showing us the Way to the Father through His words of truth.  In the book of Philippians, Paul said that we can all shine like stars in the universe when we hold out the Word of life by our words and actions.  When Jesus came to earth over 2,000 years ago, a special star  shown brightly in the sky to lead the wise men to Him.  I think that we have an opportunity today to be little stars shining just like that star years ago, leading the way for people to see Christ. 

But how does our light shine?  What do we mean when we sing the children’s song, “this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…”?  In 1 John, we get one glimpse into what makes of children of light, what makes us shine for Christ.  John says that whoever lives in love also lives in the light, so our LOVING actions are what shine so brightly for Jesus.  Our love for each other and our love for the hurting shines a bright light which will lead others to the One who IS Love. 

May we all shimmer, twinkle, sparkle and shine God’s love this season!

Merry Christmas! 

Heather C

“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” ~ Luke 2:15-20 (ESV – emphasis mine)

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Mary Did You Know”. Over the last three weeks I probably have heard/sung the song a couple dozen times (find the lyrics at E-Mom’s blog here). Every time I heard/sung this song I thought if “Mary really knew…”

Mary was a very young girl when she gave birth to her first-born. Not only was she in a foreign city, away from family, but she knew that her little boy was not an ordinary boy. He was the Son of God. We know very little about Mary’s thoughts, except what Luke is writing in “The Magnificat“.

When Mary held her little boy in the first nights after the birth, I wonder what she pondered in her heart. Yes, Jesus was the Son of God. Yes, He was to bring salvation. But at what cost. I so often wonder if Mary knew what it would cost to bring salvation to all mankind. Did she know that she would see her Son hung on the cross 33 years later? I don’t know.

Mary may have not known all the details about her Son’s life, but she knew that He was God’s answer to salvation. She was God’s obedient servant — she trusted that all will work out in the end. Even if it meant that her mother’s heart would be broken…

Lord of Heaven and Earth. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. You had the perfect plan from the beginning. Thank You for given us hope today. Lord, help us to celebrate Christmas not only once a year, but 365 days. In the precious name of Jesus ~ Amen

Merry Christmas…

I was blessed to grow up in home where Christmas was always a magical time. For a little girl with an over-sized imagination, it was easy to get caught up in the idea of Santa Claus, Christmas presents and bulging stockings. There was one Christmas, however, that changed the “visions of sugar plums dancing in my head” into something quite different.

It was the Christmas I was finally old enough to belong to a girls group in our church called C.G.I.T. (Christian Girls in Training). It was to become a significant part of my life right through my teenage years, and this year I would take part in the Candle-lighting Service.

As one of the littlest girls I was at the end of the line as we made our way down the center aisle of the sanctuary. Our little church seemed magically changed with the lovely candles glowing in every window and the beautiful tree in front of the choir loft. I felt a sense of awe as we stood in front of the congregation and sang the ageless Carols and recited Luke 2 from memory.

I had a special part in the program that night. Two other little girls and I did hand motions as one of our leaders sang “There’s A Song In the Air” in a clear soprano voice.

 As the evening drew to a close we slowly filed down from the stage, picked up a snow white candle and formed two lines up the side aisles of the church. Then the oldest girls lit their candles and turned to light the candle of the girl next to them. Down the rows the tiny flames burst into life as each girl in turn lit the candle of her neighbor.

I cannot put into words the feeling that filled my small heart as the lights in the church were turned out and we stood holding our lighted candles. We sang a final Carol, and I felt Christmas – the “real” Christmas – flood my heart with joy.

The Light of the World had come to dispel the darkness, and it was a gift that had no equal.

“Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.’”
John 8:12 (NAS)

In His Love,

Linda