by Cindy Hester
Merry Christmas my friends. In the interest of transparency,
I must confess certain hesitancy in beginning my article with this greeting. My
tentativeness in doing so has nothing to do with political correctness. It has
everything to do with perception.
I love Christmas. I love celebrating the birth of the Savior
of our world. What I have trouble with are the melancholy stirrings deep within
my soul that accompany the joy of this season. This dichotomy of feelings troubles
me greatly this year.
As a child, Christmas
held such a sense of purity and excitement. I was blessed with a loving family
who appropriately sheltered me from the darkness in this world. They exposed me
to situations where children were not so fortunate by teaching me to share and
to pray for them, but my childlike mind could not truly comprehend the stark
difference in their daily way of life.
As an adult, I learned firsthand that life’s circumstances
are not always “merry” at Christmas. Life in this world is hard, and troubles
don’t take a day off. Often those closest to our hearts - those meant to love
and protect - inflict the most pain. Even individuals with the most loving
families face the reality of a broken world. Many are facing the holidays
without loved ones due to the actions of one consumed with depravity. Others
are facing relational issues with loved ones still here. We all find ourselves
exposed to the accusations of misconduct which saturate our evening news with
salacious details more suitable for the courtroom than the dinner table.
The cumulative effect of these events and general everyday
stress came crumbling down upon me a couple of weeks ago. I found myself crying
inconsolably for seemingly no reason. I simply wanted to curl up on the couch
under a blanket and let the world pass on by. I became increasingly vulnerable
to the enemies lies of worthlessness and hopelessness.
Deep in the night last week as I bared my soul before my
God, He began lovingly reminding me of the circumstances of the first
Christmas. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was considered an unwed mother in the
eyes of much of the world. Joseph, her fiancé, had to accept by faith to
believe an angel of God that Mary was a faithful and acceptable wife.
When Mary was nine months pregnant, she had to ride a donkey
ninety miles to the city of Joseph’s ancestors for registration in a census.
That alone took an obedient heart. To top it all off, after the long, grueling
journey, there was no place for them to stay! There was no shower to freshen up
or comfortable bed upon which to rest. Mary went into labor and gave birth to
Jesus in a cold, uncomfortable stable full of animals, and all that goes along
with animals.
Political unrest also existed at the time of Christ’s birth.
King Herod of Israel was just one example. He was described as ambitious,
brutal, extremely successful, a man who did not like opposition or competition
with family or politics. King Herod was so shaken by the wise men asking about
the birth of one who had been born King of the Jews, he ordered the murder of
all baby boys two years and under in an attempt to kill this perceived rival.
I got up and began reading in Luke. Despite the challenging
circumstances surrounding Christ’s birth, Mary chose to receive God’s gift to
her with joy. She said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit
rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his
servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the
Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to
those who fear him, from generation to generation.” Luke 1:46-50
In Christ’s day, shepherds ranked lowest on the social
ladder. Yet it was the shepherds to whom the angel of the Lord appeared. “And
there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their
flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the
Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do
not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the
people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is
the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped
in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Although King Herod meant harm when he sent the Magi or wise
men to find this Christ child and report back to him so that he too could “go
and worship him”, God had a much different plan. “After they had heard the
king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead
of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When
they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they
saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then
they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense
and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they
returned to their country by another route.”
God desires to impart joy to each of us. He longs to be the
light in our darkest hour, and the hope for our deepest despair. When I allow
these treasured truths to saturate my heart and mind, I find peace. It is
because of these truths that despite the present appearance of current
circumstances, I can earnestly wish you all a Merry Christmas. May each of you
find rest in His gift of joy.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you
trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit.” Romans 15:13
