It鈥檚 all over for another year. Christmas, that is. Accompanied by a sense of mixed relief and sadness, for me the first week in January is busy with the work of packing away decorations and storing what鈥檚 left of decadent goodies in the freezer. The list of things-to-do also includes the job of fitting left-over rolls of wrapping paper into corners where they will be neither obvious nor forgotten. Although the weeks and for some, the months, of preparation that go into making Christmas a highlight of the year are marked by weariness and sometimes, stress, those thoughts are as quickly packed away as the trapping that go with the season. I tuck a lot of beautiful memories into those plastic bins destined for storage in the basement.
Over the past month I鈥檝e explored ideas for choosing gifts as well as thoughts concerning wrapping and unwrapping the presents we鈥檝e chosen to give and the ones we鈥檝e been blessed to receive. Heading into 2015, I鈥檓 facing the new year with a much more gentle attitude toward myself and others.
Perhaps it鈥檚 the aging process or a growing understanding of what God鈥檚 love is about but in the midst of the pain and ugliness of a world seemingly determined to destroy itself, the Prince of Peace still reigns in the heart of those who ask Him to be their Lord. Where any trace of God seems negated by evil, Emmanuel, 鈥淕od with us鈥�, is reborn within the life of anyone who accepts His request to come in. In other words, the peace and joy of Christmas don鈥檛 have to exit with the entrance of another year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥溾�he eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.鈥� (Deut 11:11,12)
Happy New Year, His love is watching over you!
