There is no "silver lining." It. Is. Red.


As I was out running this morning, I was so aware of God really tuning my heart this Advent season.  This will not be an organization of thoughts, but a download of disorganization and how that is OK.

I'm more aware this year than ever, that Christmas in all it's beauty is also pain.  We rejoice in the precious baby, God incarnate being born.  We set out lights, candles, cards, cookies, gifts, traditions rich and meaningful to our families and friends.  But they are meaningless if they don't point to the Cross.

One year we were given a nail ornament, to represent the nails that went into Jesus.  I always hid that ornament in the bottom of the box because I couldn't reconcile putting in on our celebration tree.  I didn't want anything dark to mark our celebration.  But without the darkness, we never see light.

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

I'm not saying we should mourn every moment of the Christmas season!  The angels sang!  "Fear not, I bring you good tidings of great joy!  A Savior is born in Bethlehem."  Luke 2:10.  There is great joy in our Savior coming for us!

Coming. For. Us.

As I was running I was thinking about  how much grace I need to cover the gaps in my heart every day.  God is sealing those gaps, but without His grace, I am extreme in all of these:  feeler, empathizer, controller, insecure, fearful.  And without daily coming to Him as my Abba Father, I will be aware of these things to the point of distraction.  Distraction from His love, His joy, His peace, His blood that reconciled all these things to my weary soul so it would not be weary. Colossians 1:20

But in Christ, I am loved, redeemed, accepted, adopted, blessed, chosen, forgiven.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.'  Ephesians 1

When we dwell on our "triggers" they TRIGGER!!  A little thought can pop in my mind and suddenly I am at a # 10 on anxiety.  And I am really terrible at letting others minister to me.  The few times I have let someone in to help me, I have said something like this, "I really need help;  but I know what is going on so I don't need help."  I call, and then push.  Anyone get that?

Well Jesus came to earth and suffered every thing we have and more, yet without sin.  We can trust Him.  I was thinking about how His death burial and Resurrection were the "silver lining."  And then it came to me, it is a red lining.  His blood is what saves us continually, once for all time.  He entered our pain to take on our pain.  I can, we can, call on Him and not push Him away.  I know that it is safe to call on Him, I have a knowing today, that He does not look on my shame, but on His beloved, because of Christ.  That red line came through Rahab, a harlet, just one of the many ways Jesus shows us His unconditional love for us.  That line ran through David and on down the line to us.  He is the "red lining."

So this Christmas I'm wishing Christmas were the first day of the New Year, because it is the first day of the prophecy of the Messiah coming being fulfilled, and it will yet be fulfilled again!  He. Is. Coming.

So let this Christmas have joy, let yourself feel pain, but purposefully shift your gaze when the triggers come, and they will.  Shift your gaze to the Messiah.  He sent the Comforter (Romans 8) to help us in the here and now.  So, even the silly things that weigh me down, I can let go of today.  I love you.  I couldn't wrap my brain around Christmas cards this year.  I didn't even get Josh's senior pictures lined up before the leaves fell.  There is so much I can not do in my flesh, that I could measure myself by.  But this is what is important, Jesus said,

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  John 15:11

He. Is. Here. And. Now.

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