Saturday, December 22, 2012

Believing is Seeing

"Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!'"


"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.' So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."
Luke 2: 9-20, NRSV

It's easier to believe when you see

This scripture takes me back to one Christmas Eve, when I was very young. Long after bedtime, I stepped out of the room my brother and I shared and looked down the long hallway into the dining room. There, where the Christmas tree was still lit, I saw Santa Claus – red suit, black belt and red hat with the white ball at the end. He was putting gifts under the tree!!! It was the best gift I could have ever imagined! It was a gift no money in the world could buy! Right about then, my mother appeared from somewhere and made me go back to bed. But that sight brought me such joy and excitement that I could only imagine what the morning would bring.
Of course, I found out not too long after that special Christmas, that Santa Claus had NOT been in our dining room. But the impact of that moment still comes to mind when I think of the shepherds who were the first people, besides his parents, to see Jesus. They probably didn't know what it all meant, but they believed. And because they believed, they were inspired to go and see. What a time it must have been for them. What a priceless gift – to SEE the Savior with their own eyes! To see and to understand the significance of the fact that he was there. What joy and excitement they must have experienced as they returned to their flocks.

Believe and you can see Jesus


When we believe, we can still see Jesus today – believe that the kingdom of God is in each of us, believe that Christ is within all of us, believe that all are made in the image of God. We too can see. And rejoice. And look forward to every new day. Because Jesus is in our dining room and everywhere that we are. He is loving us, guiding us, providing every need--so that we can love and walk with others who need to feel his love, and share the bounty we have received. Thanks be to God!!!


Have a blessed Christmas and a Spirit-filled new year!


God Is Still In Control!

Miss Lladale Carey
Web Content Producer
www.umcgiving.org
lcarey@umcom.org

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