Christmas is drawing near! It’s clear by the full calendar and the masses of junk mail and email advertisements trying to lure me in with their amazing deals to buy their products. “Looking for that ultimate gift? We have it!”…….(sigh) not really. The greatest gift worth seeking can’t be bought in stores near me or online.
My heart is heavy this Christmas as I watch all the events unfold in this world of hate, dissention, persecution and the overall truth of the times we are living in. My heart breaks for loved ones who mourn family that have passed making the sting of their absence even more so during the Christmas season. My heart quivers for those close and extended from me dealing with health issues no one should. The negative news reports cast a darkness that encompasses many in fear and anxiety of what is to come. The light in this world seems to be darkening leaving masses of people in fear or without hope.
This past week, I have been woken in the wee hours of the morning on several occasions with the words “Meet me at the tree?” Stumbling out of bed, I make my way to our living room. My eyes blurry from sleep, I narrowly escape running into the door…..then the corner….then the bottom of my favorite chair. As I look straight ahead, my vision finally clears and the beauty of the tree takes my breath away. Falling into the chair and covering up with a warm blanket, I sit watching the lights twinkle. “I’m here, what now?” The lights captivate me and say “Just watch”, so I do.
Day two came and I awoke to the same words. The lights were different this morning as the top strand of lights no longer danced but stood still casting a constant glow in the room. By day four, the bottom strand no longer blinked and matched the soft consistent glow of the tree top. The middle strand continued to blink in random patterns. Obviously the lights that caused them to flicker burned out. As I continued watching, the movement of the remaining lights no longer held my attention. There was something drawing me to look more intently upon the steady, unchanging lights before me.
The end of the week is here and the tree brought forth something hidden in the quake of all that is heavy within my heart. The Lord’s light is constant! It never dims and it never goes out! Life and circumstance will bring on “blinking lights” as the battle rages for our attention shifting it instead from the constant light. Even in these times, we catch glimpses of His goodness. He has never left! His constant light shines in and among our trials and tribulations. He is the ultimate gift that can’t be bought in stores but is found where you least expect. You don’t have to search high or low but just shift your focus from the mess and uncertainties of this world to the Light that lives and transcends within it. The life given for you and me through Jesus, interestingly enough, ended on a tree as a sacrifice for our sins. This constant, unchanging light serves as a reminder for me to meet Him at the tree.
“Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
Life Unfolded 