The Hope of Christmas in Our Families
Good Morning Friends,
This time of year we are in preparation for all kinds of things. And interestingly that preparation brings us to our knees and reveals to us more than we would have experienced without a humbled heart. Maybe this mystery of God with us, seen through the eyes of our lacking and in our unspoken pain is the very reason we find The Hope of Christmas in Our Families.
Scripture:
12and again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.’ 13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:12-13 (NRSV)
26the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:26-27 (NRSV)
Message: One of the secrets to enjoying life is discovering that hope is as essential to life as food and water and air. And nowhere do we hope more than for our family and the family of God. And nowhere are we more humbled. They often are the reason we hope. So with that in mind I share with you a link to a video of my 81 year old mother in law and one of her grandchildren to rejoice in how God is making manifest in others the hope of Christmas throughout the year. Indulge me and you will not be disappointed. When we saw it we laughed as only a family can laugh but also discovered in it a secret that I truly believe is in each of us waiting to sprout and reveal to others and through others a sharing hope that honors God. In it is even a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, the keeping of Christmas each day. Friends, because of love we all have hope. Here is a video that is not overtly about Christmas at all but for me demonstrates the daily and weekly hope of the spirit of Christmas we pray dwells in our families as a reminder of God with us. Here is the link: http://fcchurch.tv/stage-hands/
Pray that the eyes of our hearts be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which we have been called. Pray the riches of His glorious inheritance is manifested in His holy people. Pray we take the merry, wise and wholesome custom of Christmas and make the best of it incarnate in our daily, weekly and yearly activities beyond the mere marking of times and seasons. Pray we feel the supremacy of the common life over the individual life. Pray we realize that even better than the observance of Christmas day is the keeping of Christmas in our daily activities shared with family. Pray we are reminded to set our own little time to the greater hope of the clock of humanity and yes to the even greater clock which runs on Son time. Pray we rejoice in the hope and love of families. Pray we embrace the hope of Christmas year round.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 