Emmanuel!

I've plunked myself down in front of my computer every day this week, in hopes that inspiring insights and excellent encouragement would flow from my brain through my fingers to the keyboard and onto the page - but to no avail. Here's trusting that today will be different :)


The strange thing is, I have no issues to write about today. All is well in my little world. A beautiful peace has settled over my heart, and I'm enjoying it to the full. Well, maybe that's not completely accurate...I'm trying to enjoy it to the full. A bit of me (a much smaller bit than usual - yay!) is on constant alert, wondering what obstacle or test or burden or crisis will come next. However, I am learning to rest in the presence of my ever-gracious Father. I'm practising the discipline of peace and trust, no matter what the situation. I'm not getting it right every time, but more and more consistently, I'm bringing the peace of Christ with me into whatever situation may present itself in my life - and experiencing such grace and joy as a result!


That's the miracle I've been pondering the past little while, that I wanted to share but couldn't find the words - Emmanuel. God with us! That's the whole reason it's possible for me to bring the peace of Christ with me into life's storms and famines and floods and droughts - He is with me. He is with me! Unbelievable concept, but one I'm forced to accept as truth because I've experienced it - I'm living it!


And here we are at Christmastime, a time to contemplate and celebrate the gift, the wonder, the miracle, the awe of Emmanuel. It's the fact of Emmanuel - God with us - that enables us to live the life He's called us to live. We were never expected to accomplish this on our own - the Old Testament proved that the thing was utterly hopeless, impossible. But God with us?! Limitless potential, unfathomable power, endless possibilities!


I guess it's no wonder that the enemy works so hard to distract us from this wonder-filled truth this time of year. There's no way he can rob the glorious event of its truth, but he regularly succeeds in diminishing the peace and joy and power that the fact of His coming makes available to us. This year, let's reclaim it. Let's take back Christmas - let's celebrate with joyful abandon this astonishing thing, this gift of life and grace and freedom and peace and joy! Let's allow our hearts to be filled to overflowing with the wonder and delight of it all! The birth of Christ is deserving of any amount of hoopla and hype - let's proclaim it loud! Let's make His coming the cause and focus of all our merriment and revelry this season! Emmanuel - God is with us! Hallelujah!