Thou who wast God...

My Meditation of Him will be sweet?

Where are you, Lord, at Christmastime?

I know that this is all about You, Lord. I know that the festivities are about the eternal plan of gifting us with salvation. But why am I cast down, in my soul at this season? Why can my soul not embrace the reality of my spiritual condition as my greatest gift? Why is my mind captured by what I didn't get in the tangibles?

God had everything and came down to us, who had nothing of spiritual worth. I am not embracing this. I am constantly asking why am I not able to get this or that thing or the other for my loved ones? Covetousness devours my joy and makes me sullen and makes me cross as I go about attempting to make Christmas a true and real blessing for the little ones, whose minds I can impress.

In marches the meditation of Christ the stronger than the strong man. He uses 2 Cor 8:9. He takes the spotlight off of self and stuff, for a brief moment and points it at Himself and He is truly eternal. That moment of spotting Him becomes eternal also.

Ultimately, it is not about my portrayal of Christmas for the little ones, or the gifts or the travels; it is about my soul's greatest need and greatest hope. Each year, it gets harder and harder to find Christ in Christmas in the fog of responsibility and memories. I could sit in my regrets, I could sit in my unrelieved fears and dreams and I would become a castaway.

The mighty God steps in,

Thou Who Wast Rich beyond all measure, All for loves sake becomes poor... Stooping but sinners raising, God beyond all telling, Savior and King, we worship Thee.

Joy is the gift of God each Christmas. I think it is mine to grab and put on like a cloak. God reminds me, in the searching for it that it belongs to Him and I must seek Him for it, even in the smallest measure. When the flood of responsibility and emptiness threaten to eclipse the light of God in my minds eye, God restores my soul. It is not even in the effort that I put in. It is in the blessing of God on my seeking Him. It is He who has moved me to seek Him in this way. I thought it was me seeking and I look behind myself and see God's hand impressing my soul to worship and praise.

not unto us, even in the smallest amount, is the glory, but Unto God. Thou Who Art God, beyond all telling.

Savior and King- we worship Thee!

I will embrace the truth of the season with love and joy for all of the receipts and debts to God, for His indescribable GIFTS!