Last day of the year.
Last page of Chapter 1.
A year of stretching - are those stretch marks I see. I will wear them willingly and hopefully with humility. Funny how through the years you think you have been through the hardest time of your life - over and over and over. Then comes another. Labor pains. Birthing the real you.
Am I done? Dunno. But that's OK. As Father goes ever deeper I am ever free-er to be.
I'm so glad that God is faithful. That means I can be human. And it means that I will not forever be trapped in this humanity. I will certainly wear it in this time/space place but it will not always rule over me.
I actually wasn't going to share pictures of our Christmas at all this year. I especially didn't want to share my candle display. It's very special to me because it's the first time in all my adult years that the thing I did for Christmas was the thing that was in my heart.
Also because it’s a little cheesy – but that quiet voice inside me that keeps me coming back here won’t let it alone.
I warn you - what you are going to see in the pictures below IS kinda cheesy - but keep two things in mind. 1) I really didn't want to spend any money on decorations and 2) it's a prototype - the first such display. Now I know where I'm going .
This idea came to me from two places. It rang in my mind, it rang in my heart. I’m not saying that it will mean the same to you as it does to me. That’s OK. The Lord has a unique expression through each one.
The words from John Chapter 1.....
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
And a little song learned ... maybe in my childhood - or maybe in the years I spent teaching Sunday School 30+ years ago. The words....
Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.
Red and Yellow, Black and White, they are precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
This was not the first time that I had been captivated by the verses in John. They are old favorites. To me the fact that Christ came and brought light is the important thing. A study of the world light one time showed me that that word "light" means "vitality" - life force. He came to be my life force - He is my life force. I cannot imagine life without him.
He didn't just bring this for a few favored ones. He brought it for the whole world. Religion does not always work for everyone but everyone can receive this "life force" and let it live through them in their life what ever it may be.
I want to close this year with this thought ringing through all the parts of me.
He is my Light and my Life
Toward midnight Larry and I will meet by the fire and quietly commune with our God.
He is our Light and our Life.
This weekend we'll get together with friends and we will share - give AND receive - this Light and Life with them.
And so I share my candles.....
That was great, especially the first part.
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