Wow, Christmas is already ten days away. Today my Mom and I went shopping for some last minute Christmas gifts and the mall was packed! We could barely move! This past week I talked to my Grandma and we excitedly talked about our Christmas plans and about all the good food she is going to make! Last night TEAM Cummins attended the Ft. Lauderdale Christmas Pageant with some friends. We had a blast singing along to all of over favorite songs as we watched a great performance.
Christmas is such a special time of year, but we must remember that the holidays can also be a painful time for those around us. This might be the first Christmas that a loved one isn’t there for. There are kids around us whose lives will be radically changed this Christmas because of divorce. This year while I am celebrating the birth of Jesus with my family, I am also going to pray for those around me. I may not know everyone’s situation, but God does. He can show up in a big way even in the midst of pain.
In the middle of your Christmas traditions, be thoughtful of others. Lend a helping hand. Make cookies for a neighbor. Make someone else’s Christmas just a little bit brighter. By the way, the best way to brighten someone’s Christmas is to share Jesus with them!
She lit a candle in a downtown cathedral
Quietly confessing, counting on a blessing
She looked as if she had nowhere to go
I could see her weeping
Hands together hoping you would hear…
This is the time of year
We hold our families near
But God let us be a friend to the hurting
Oh Emmanuel, God with us
Spirit revealed in us
That we may be your hope to the world
Oh Emmanuel, God with us
With a light to break the darkness
That we may show your hope to the worldEmmanuel, God with us
Be God in us
I moved in closer just so I could see her face
Maybe she was a mother
Someone’s only daughter
Her silver hair shimmered like the snow
Christmas bells were ringing
Now beside her kneeling I asked her name
(And she said)This was the time of yearI had my family near
But they’ve all gone and I have been so lonely
So with my family that Christmas day
A girl of sixty years would laugh and play
And as we watched her dance our eyes were full of tears…
Oh Emmanuel, God with us
Spirit revealed in us
That we may be your hope to the world
Oh Emmanuel, God with us
With a light to break the darkness
That we may show your hope to the world
Emmanuel, God with us
Be God in us
(Point of Grace, Emmanuel, God with Us)
