Month: December 2018

My son who was an elementary music teacher was getting ready to take the chorus caroling to all of the classrooms at his school. He gave me a plastic sandwich bag for each classroom and asked me to put 25 candy canes in each bag so that the chorus could give every child and teacher a special treat. As I counted them out, I pushed all of the broken ones off to the side.

At the end of the day, I wondered what to do with the broken candy canes. I popped one into my mouth, and it still tasted great despite being broken.

I remembered one of the students telling me that they were going to make fudge and sprinkle crushed candy canes on top that evening. The broken candy canes would be perfect for that. Not only would that be a delicious combination, the peppermint garnish would make the chocolate treat look festive.

The broken candy canes made me think about all the “broken” people I have met. I know people who have been hurt or abused to the point that they have very low self-esteem and can’t see themselves as the beautiful person they are. I can think of people who are so overwhelmed by sorrow, grief, anxiety and depression that they can’t function properly. I have met people who can’t see their wonderful qualities because they are consumed with beating themselves up over the things they aren’t good at. I have listened to people who have bought into a lie that because they are broken, they have no worth.

But, just like those broken candy canes, these “broken” people have purpose. They may feel crushed and broken, but they are still beautiful.

Oh, how I wish these broken people could see themselves the way God does. How I long for them to know how much He loves them.

My prayer for these broken people is that they would turn to Jesus and find their strength, their healing, their identity, their confidence and their purpose in Him. I want them to know that God knit them together in their mothers’ wombs and that they are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139). I want them to realize that the Lord who said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9), can use their weaknesses to reveal His power and goodness. I pray that they would find purpose because they have a God “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (1 Corinthians 1:4). I pray that in their brokenness, they will turn to the One whose body was broken and whose blood was shed so that they could have life. I pray that they will find comfort, healing, purpose, peace and hope in Him.

Anyone who knows me knows that I like the space around me to be clean. The problem is, I do not like to clean.

However, I do love sweeping the floors this time of year. There is always quite a lot of glitter mixed in with the dirt at Christmastime, and glitter always makes me smile.

I had a thought one morning as I was sweeping and admiring all of the silver and gold glitter in my dirt pile. I sweep the floor, and shortly afterwards someone tracks dirt in on their shoes. I sweep the floor again, and someone drops bread crumbs all over the floor when they make a sandwich. I sweep again and the dog shreds a tissue that she found, and on and on it goes.

That’s kind of how life is too. I have encountered some pretty big and dirty messes. I have experienced strained relationships, unpleasant consequences, financial difficulties, health issues, concerns for loved ones, hurts… I sweep one problem away, and another one pops up. I sweep that one away, and another appears.

There’s always going to be dirt. There’s always going to be messes. There’s always going to be problems.

Yet, just like the little pieces of glitter mixed in with the dirt when I sweep, I see blessings mixed in with the difficulties of life. God’s touch is always there in the middle of it all. He gives me strength to endure, wisdom to solve the problem, guidance for the next step, words of healing, glimpses of hope…and most of all, peace to get me through. Knowing He is near and seeing Him at work makes life beautiful.

Those little pieces of glitter in the dirt and those little blessings in life’s troubles remind me that God is near. It reminds me “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

God’s love, peace and hope always shine through the darkness. As you sweep your floors this Advent season, look for the glitter mixed in with the dirt. And as you tackle life’s troubles, look for God!

“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: ‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him”’” (Matthew 3:1-3).

It is estimated that Isaiah the prophet lived about 700 years before the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. The world needed a Savior, and God promised to send One. When Jesus was born, John the Baptist’s role was to proclaim His coming and to prepare the people to meet Him.

When questioned by priests and Levites as to who he was, John’s reply was, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord’” (John 1:23). He further explained, “I baptize with water, but among you stands One who you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:27).

“The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is what I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel’” (John 1:29-30).

John the Baptist had been commissioned by God to prepare the people for Jesus’ arrival. Before John was born, an angel had appeared to Zechariah to explain that Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth would give birth to a son who they would name “John.” The angel explained John’s purpose and informed him that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.

John did exactly as the angel and Isaiah had foretold. He urged people to repent and prepared them to meet Jesus.

We too have been commissioned by God. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Many in our world are still in desperate need of a Savior. Some who are getting ready to celebrate Christmas have no idea who Jesus is or why they need Him.

God’s word tells us that there will be a day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Whether we accepted Him as Lord or not while we were living on earth, we will know that He is Lord when we meet Him face to face. For those who did not accept before their physical death, it will be too late.

So I ask you as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world, “Are you prepared for the day that you will meet Him face-to-face?” If not, don’t put it off any longer. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!”

If you are prepared (and I hope you are), I ask you this, “How will you proclaim the Good News of Jesus today?” Will you send a Christmas card explaining the true meaning of Christmas and follow up with the recipient? Are you bold enough to post a message on your social media platform? Are you willing to take the time to talk to your unbelieving parents, cousins, friends, neighbors, co-workers or whoever God sends your way? Will you shine your Light in the darkness? What action will you take today?

As we remember the reason that we celebrate Christmas, we must find a way to share the Good News with others. We must proclaim and prepare the way.

December can be a pretty hectic month! The calendar can get pretty full with Christmas programs, parties and family gatherings. Our to do list can get pretty long with decorating our homes, sending Christmas cards, shopping for gifts, baking cookies and cleaning our houses for guests. Our schedules can get pretty tight leaving little time for enjoying our families, resting our worn bodies or reflecting on the actual miracle of Christmas itself. We must remember the reason we celebrate.

Today is the first day of the Advent season, a time to remember when God’s people were awaiting the birth of the Messiah who would save us from our sins. Advent is also a time for us to anticipate Jesus’ second coming when He will return to take us home.

Today we light the first Advent candle which is the “Prophecy Candle” or “Candle of Hope.” This candle reminds us of both the fulfilled prophecy of Jesus’ birth and the prophecy of his second coming, for which we continue to wait and hope for. The candle’s purple color represents Christ’s royalty as the King of Kings.

My prayer for each of you is that during the hustle and bustle of the season, you will keep your focus on Jesus. I pray that you will reflect on Him, be aware of His presence, become overwhelmed by His love, grow closer to Him and experience His peace and hope. As you excitedly prepare to celebrate His birth, I pray that you will also anxiously anticipate the day that He will return again to take us home.

Don’t let yourself get too caught up in thinking you have to stick to every Christmas tradition in effort to make the day special for your family. We can easily miss the beauty of the season when we go overboard in decorating, shopping, gift wrapping, baking, cleaning and involving ourselves in every single program and party that pops up.

Keep things simple, reflect on Jesus, the Greatest Gift of all. Remember how He left the comforts of heaven to be born in a stable. Be thankful that He lived a sinless life and took the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross in our place. Focus on His love, goodness, mercy and grace. Share the Good News with others. Anxiously wait for His return.

Throughout the Advent season, may your life be full because your focus is on Jesus and all that He is, yet simple because He is all you need. We must remember that He is the reason.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:16-17).