JOY TO THE WORLD

I love the joyous sounds of Christmas. Those sounds fill the airwaves, have you noticed? There are special school events, choir concerts, children singing in the malls and sacred, heart-stirring hymns of the season filling the atmosphere everywhere. It brings the Light that dispels the darkness. It is, “Radiant beams from Thy Holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace…”

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praise:

Glory to God in the Heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please Him. Luke 2:11-14 The Message

"...we are designed to live from Heaven to earth."We live in a world of change.  Life is about change.  Changing global pressures that require new solutions.  Changing social issues that seem to jar our senses.  Changing weather patterns that cause us to wonder about the greater issue of climate change.  Change is all around us.

Then there are the more personal changes that can alter life as we have known it. The death of a spouse.  Changing family dynamics.  Changes in relationships.  Changing health issues…and the list goes on. 

Yes, life is change! 

The very nature of change can be exciting and unsettling simultaneously, depending on the nature of the change.  Change can be a good thing.  It can bring fresh, new opportunities and fresh perspectives that add a sense of liveliness and a feeling of exhilaration and spontaneity to our lives in a healthy way.

There are times when change is forced upon us and it can bring grief, uncertainty and life alterations that are difficult to navigate.  Several years ago, I experienced the death of my husband.  There was a huge sense of loss and grief.  But, it was also disorienting.  I had been part of a couple for years.  Now what was I?  I had been a wife, now I was single.  It seemed that many aspects of my life were now vastly different than what I had known for over 30 years and it would take time to learn how to walk in a different reality. 

 Some have experienced the loss of a child.  I watched my parents experience the loss of their only son when he was just 29 years of age.  The grief was fierce. 

Then there are things like a sudden job loss or a change in your financial stability.  Something life altering has been thrust upon you and you cannot find your footing.  Change
can happen quickly and at any point.

You have given me the heritage of those who fear, revere and honor Your name. Psalm 61:5

This month, on April 2^nd, I gave thanks, once again, for a life changing event that continues to have an effect even today. Let me share…

April 2, 1922, was the day long ago when my father gave his life to Christ in the midst of a revival that had come to Belfast, Northern Ireland. My dad’s family had been an active part of their Presbyterian church. Yet, when William P. Nicholson, nicknamed “the Tornado of the Pulpit” came to Belfast to preach his fiery message, “it was as though I had never heard the Gospel before,” my father remarked.