CHRISTmas Ponderings...

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19 Last night, I got to hold a new baby--a little girl, only 2 weeks old. It made me think, especially at this time of year. I wondered what this child's future might be, what her childhood would be like, what she might become when she grows up, if she'll have a family of her own, how life will treat her as she ages...? There's so much possibility, yet so much unpredictability. I know that my own life has certainly encountered many twists & turns I didn't anticipate & could never have planned. Some were self-inflicted, the result of my own choices--both good and bad. Some were thrust on me by the choices & decisions of others. Some were mere circumstance. However, I've come to realize that God has used all the events of my life--whether good, bad or ugly--to make me into the man I am. "All things" truly do work together for good--God uses them to shape & mold us (Romans 8:28, the verse I've adopted as my life verse). I wonder, as Mary held Baby Jesus, did she realize that He would change the world? Did she realize that this child of promise, the Messiah, the incarnate Son of God that she had carried within her womb, would be the Savior of the world? Could she anticipate the miracles He would perform, the lives He would touch during His short, earthly life? Could she imagine the ministry He would have & the following that would result? Did she know the pain & heartache that awaited her when she would watch Him being nailed to a cruel Roman cross? What about the miracle of His resurrection & His ascension into the Heavenlies to take His place at the right hand of The Father? Regardless as to what the world says, CHRISTmas is about CHRIST. God sent His Son as the perfect gift to and atoning sacrifice for mankind. As you celebrate this season with your family & loved ones, take time to read Luke 2--the real story of CHRISTmas. It should be a time of love, a time of giving, a time for family, a time of reconcilation, a time to ponder new beginnings. Most of all, it should be a time to celebrate God's greatest gift--the gift of His Son, Jesus (John 3:16). Let CHRIST be part of your CHRISTmas this & every year. More importantly, don't just be a seasonal Christian, make Jesus part of your daily life & enjoy The Gift now & forevermore... Blessings! Tony