Wishing you a wonder filled Christmas
This is one of my favorite Christmas scenes. I love how the room is so charming and inviting. In my mind, this represents a picture perfect Christmas atmosphere. Look, it's even snowing outside! The decorations are beautiful, the fire crackling, candles burning, decorated packages. In my dreamer mind, I envision mother, father, children and spouses and grandchildren in the kitchen and dining room laughing and enjoying each other.
Perfect lives, perfect house, perfect Christmas. Even the dog is perfect!
Soon they will be coming into this room where they will open the Bible, read the Christmas story, sing Silent Night, sip eggnog, open gifts and then play games. Surely, the wonder of Christmas is found in such a scene of perfection! Now, this is what Christmas should be like - right?
I long for...what - perfection? Well, that would just be perfect - wouldn't it? I've experienced some perfect moments in time. Priceless and treasured moments held dear in my heart. But they were fleeting and while grateful, I still have this longing...for what? Picture perfect?
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." Ecclesiastes 3:11-14
God has put eternity in our hearts. Isn't that the most amazing truth? I long for eternity! Where God Himself will be with us and He will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain (Revelation 21:3-4). Oh yes, there is a longing for eternity in my heart. But, those perfect moments here - where we experience happiness or satisfaction - these are gifts from God! And, we stand in awe and wonder! Oh, the wonder of God of our gift giving God. And His greatest gift to us?
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Oh, the wonder of our gift giving God! Wonder is such a great word. It means...
- · An intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking
- · An illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
- · Revealing scene or moment
My prayer for us this Christmas is that God will grant us a simple yet striking grasp of the reality of who He is and what He has done. That in the hearing or reading of His Word we will have an new and fresh illuminating discovery and realization of Jesus as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. I pray that in the gathering with friends and family, while waiting in line or in traffic, while dealing with cranky shoppers, friends or family or while experiencing perfect moments in time - that in ALL these moments we remember our gift giving God and are filled with awe and wonder.
Wishing you a wonder filled Christmas!
