IT'S GETTING BRIGHT IN HERE

Happy Winter Solstice!

On this shortest day of the year, the sun is at its lowest and weakest, a pivot point from which the light will grow stronger and brighter.

Following the time of dormancy, darkness and cold, the coming of lighter days is a time to rejoice.

Silent night, holy night. All was calm, all was bright around the virgin mother and her child, the Holy infant, so tender and mild, sleeping in Heavenly Peace.

Shepherds quaked at the sight of glories streaming from heaven above as Heavenly hosts sung Alleluia! Christ, the Saviour is born!

For He was the Son of God, and love's pure light shone radiant beams from His holy face, as the sun rose on the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

So I cried in the car on Saturday as Aaron and I were headed to Houston. I was serenading Aaron with Christmas songs... Jingle Bells was great, Joy the World was inspiring (I put my own little twist on it, if you can imagine) but I choked when I got to Drummer Boy... then totally lost it when I tried Silent Night.

It's said to be the most famous Christmas song. Isn't it beautiful?

I can picture that night... imagine, the entire world quiet, not even the hours-old infant is crying. Mary holding her child close, pondering His sweet face. Do the animals know they share their stable with a King?

And somewhere in a field, Shepherds are tending their flock, heavily cloaked against the cold, staff in hand quietly moving among their sheep, their breath showing warm in the night air. Maybe they've been wondering at the stillness of this particular night. Maybe even commented to one another that it seemed peculiar.

Then an Angel appears! It is good news, a child has been born, Immanuel, who would change the world.

For you see, until then, God had been in Heaven and we on Earth, separated by our inevitable sin. {Long lay the world in sin and error pining.}

But God didn't want to be separate from us.

So He sent his Son to walk among us, to live on Earth as we live, to teach us how to love, and ultimately die as we die. And for the ransom of Jesus' life, if we believe in Him, we are redeemed of our sin and no longer separated from God.

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. John 3:16