Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love the lights, and songs, and seeing faces bright with joy.
Confession: While it has always been my favorite, I haven't always enjoyed it.
But this year, something is different. My heart is light and every song I hear makes me sing. I have had Christmas music playing at every chance I can get, whether it's Pandora on my phone or 103.7 in the car. We've been out looking at lights, and every time I see a house smothered in red, green, white, blue, and even rainbow colors it makes me smile.
All these things are not the reason for my joy, they are only temporary.
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
I have a Savior! He is my peace, my joy, my hope, and my salvation. This Christmas has been about Him. This year has been about Him. I have tried bringing my own peace, working my own salvation, healing my hurts, only to fail and continue to feel incomplete. In this last year, I was rescued! I was redeemed! My faith in Christ began at the age of 5, but somehow along the way, I lost sight of Jesus. Like Peter walking on water, I began to do it on my own and sink. Jesus reached out His had and caught me, He drew me up and saved me! This joy and peace and that I have is beyond anything I've ever known or understood. I want to share it! I want others to know the peace and joy that can only come when we stop healing ourselves, stop saving ourselves, stop working to be good. That will never happen, it will always only be temporary, like Christmas lights. There is only one Light that is eternal. Jesus came to us, to save us, to redeem us, to heal us, to free us! Faith, which is what Christmas is about, in Him, Jesus - fully man and fully God - is the only way to receive every good and perfect gift.
"Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth."
