CHRISTMAS PICTURES!

CHRISTMAS PICTURES!

Luke 2:4-7

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger ; because there was no room for them in the inn.

           This picture, painted or drawn, will grace many Christmas cards this year. There is Joseph, leaning upon his staff, standing beside a kneeling Mary and a gentle Jesus resting upon the straw. Shepherds peek in the stable to see the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes. All is calm and all is bright. A star shines brightly overhead and spreads a warm glow over the entire town and guides three dromedaries and their kings.

           Christmas is a time for pictures; for capturing loved ones frozen in a moment of time. I received a couple of them just this week. One was a puzzle to me because I did not recognize or remember the name of the sender. It was a picture of two laughing children. The children did not look familiar and the last name was foreign to me. I can only assume it was one of our many young ladies who grew up and married. Obviously she remembered me.

           Another picture arrived of my wife’s brother and his family. He also is a minister and his daughter is married to a missionary. What a dramatic shift it caused in my mind. I remembered the children as small but now they were in the bloom of youth. I was rebuked in my heart for my life too busy to keep in touch with family. I grieved for the mental picture that had been so disrupted by a new reality. People do not stay put; their lives keep moving.

           On this eve of the birthday of Our Lord, I wish for you many smiling pictures. May you be blessed with friends and family which are life’s truest treasure. May you be filled with joy which is one of God’s richest gifts.

Luke 2:13-14

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Dear Lord, I ask that peace reign in the hearts and homes of all who read this today. AMEN