Well, it seems about now, those of us who enjoy writing and like to share what we consider to be words of wisdom, have lots to say.

It’s that time of year.

You know, when amongst the hustle and bustle, we wonder about it.

Christmas.

spending, eating, giving, Pondering the negative twist of Consumerism.

Feeling guilt about too much shopping, too much chocolate, lack of sleep, too much talk and not enough

Stillness.

We reflect upon our memories of Christmases past. Happy Memories.

Or Not

Today, a few of us were sitting around a table preparing an event in honour of a new mom. Before we got to doing what we were there for, the greeting of the season passed between us.

Merry Christmas

A comment was made that most of us have heard before, A Not uncommon reply to the M.C. greeting.

Unfortunately it is not Merry for some and we all agreed wholeheartedly, knowing the truth of it.

Every beautiful, happy, celebratory event has the potential to be anything but.

It just happens.  For one reason or for another reason.

Christmas though, the celebration of the birth of the Saviour, brings strong feelings of happy or sad or even depression. Broken hearts, difficult families, financial strains, emptiness, loneliness, are the sad reality of Christmas, for more people than we think.

Joy is part of the bouquet of fruit that God says we are to BE. We are to BE joyful, along with loving, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, self-controlled.  When we feel like it and when we don’t.

 If only it wasn’t so hard, To Be what we are intended to Be.

Thorns.

Prickly, painful, aggravating, troublesome, tormenting and

sent for a purpose.

Paul was a hard worker.  Gave his life following Jesus, showing the fruit he preached about. He had a thorn and nobody knows the particulars about it. I know enough about thorns though, to have an idea of the pain he endured, living with the one God saw fit to bless him with. Paul said he had asked God to take it away and God said No.

Where in the World do we ever get the idea that God will make our lives easy and free from hardship? Certainly not from his guidebook, His instruction manual, His Love letter to us.

God told Isaiah that even before the people cried out He heard them. While they were still speaking He would answer.

We are His creation, made in His image. From the beginning, His chosen ones have suffered and lived and died and cried out to Him for help.

He has always listened, at the ready to wrap His arms around and walk alongside.

Thorns make us dependent upon

HIM.

 I have a thorn.

Oh it isn’t anything near as bad as some people live with. It isn’t sickness, or abuse, or chronic pain, or an empty stomach when I go to bed.

My thorn is

 Darkness. Gloom. Melancholy and some refer to it as

Depression

Stormy weather for no reason.

The sun shines and that prickly, thorny, dark cloud rolls in, from pretty much nowhere. Sounds insignificant but believe me, I can get fixated on that pesky thorn to the point where I forget Completely

About Joy and the other fruit.

I start to concentrate on the grey and gloom and before you can say storm cloud, that joy joy joy down in my heart has vanished.

Joy is a choice

Bloom where you are planted

Be anxious for nothing

Just the time I don’t feel like praying is the very time I need to throw myself down at the foot of the cross. My thorn is different from yours, nothing like the ones in the crown eventually worn by the man who started out as the baby in the manger, but I can tell you it hurts like crazy. It’s part of my life. Likely will be forever, as long as I’m here.

I have been blessed, abundantly. Far above and beyond and that thorn of mine, when it rolls in, blinds me and binds me and robs me of the joy that is actually  Mine. It’s mine because of the gift.

The greatest gift.

The baby, perfect and sinless, came.

He came so that even though there are thorns here in this World, His Joy could be mine.  it could be yours.

Maybe you do a good job of hiding your thorn.  Maybe you live fully, wholly, despite it.

If I can admonish you, encourage you today, this advent season, let it be with this.

Don’t let your thorn rob your joy.  Carry on.  Talk to God about it.  Pour your heart out to Him.  I can tell you chances are big that He won’t get rid of it for you.  He won’t give you a life free from thorns.  They bring you to that place where you kneel before Him and tell him what He already knows.  You are sad, sick, weary, angry…needy.

He won’t take it away but He will do something better.  he will remind you that He will never leave you.  He will never turn His back and tell you to manage on your own.  He will give you peace along the way.  You can do it.  We can do it.  I can do it.

He will Do it.

He has done it.

Your joy is your choice.

I have so many favourite Christmas songs but this is one that brings me to my knees.

The babe in a manger

His life for ours

Love all encompassing

His Love is

More