Not every Christmas will be full of joy and celebration. You might have had a tough or difficult year. You probably lost a loved one. Or health issues. Or family problems. Or financial challenges. Or an emotionally unstable year.
Sooner or later, we will all go through trying times. Not everything will be always perfect, unfortunately. Why? Because we are all human and we are still in this fallen world.When there is pain and suffering, Christmas time, in one way or another, can bring a heavy burden.
This is the perfect opportunity to see Christmas for what it really is.
Considers that this imperfect world has nothing good to offer because it is full of so much pain and suffering with imperfect and evil people. Then think about the sin in our lives. We are only left in a state of despair without hope anything good!
But this is why God had to send his Son! Jesus was the only hope to this decaying world. And although it was the moment at the cross that brought us salvation, it was on that beautiful night in which our Savior was born that HOPE came to this world!
The Israelites knew there would come a King who would bring peace. Generations waited for the King who would save them and bring freedom.
I can not even imagine all the grandeur of the night in which God sent us his precious child to earth. But let’s not forget that all was not perfect, humanly speaking – his mother had almost an emergency delivery (because she had no where to give birth), Joseph and Mary were far away from family, and there were probably more animals than people on that special moment. It wasn’t all good and much less perfect. But these were the conditions that God chose for this great birth. I believe that Jesus can understand when things are rough in our lives.
Even in these “different” conditions in which Jesus was born, his life, from the very beginning, brought the hope and peace that we need in our lives.
Meditate on the humble birth and great life of our Savior.
Even when we go through hard time, let’s follow Jesus’ example: let’s serve and bring hope to others. Read Philippians 2:5-11.
Make this Christmas a special one.
Although you can not ignore your problems, you can leave in the hands of our loving Father. And if you are going through hard times, be hopeful and smile for new days are coming. Things will get better! What we may see as a problem, God may turn it into a blessing if we focus on knowing and understanding His plan for our lives.
Think of the day our Savior was born and smile. Share that smile of hope with others!
photo by James Jordan
January 11th, 2012 
