Merry Christmas, friend.
Yes, I realize Christmas Day was three days ago. Some of us have moved on… in our homes and in our hearts. Some of us have removed any trace of Christmas’ existence, and we’re ready for the new year ahead. But, me? I’m not quite there yet.
I’m soaking in the hope of Christmas for as long as I can.
For some of us Christmas was hard. We missed the presence of loved ones. We couldn’t find enjoyment in the holiday because we were too exhausted and stressed to do so. Or, maybe Christmas didn’t go as planned. The expectations we put on the holiday didn’t quite measure up. Maybe we felt let down or left out. And, it’s possible some of us just couldn’t get in the Christmas spirit for whatever reason.
And, you’re glad the holiday is over.
I can understand. There were years I couldn’t wait for Christmas to be done. I was tired of the commercialism. I just wanted to get back to work. And in some years, Christmas was just too painful to allow it to linger.
But, this year, I believe Rediscovering Christmas helped me to reclaim the hope Christmas brings.
Instead of wanting it to end, my desire is to live in Christmas’ hope all year long.
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:23 NLT
I’d like to propose a potentially new thought for the coming new year…
What if you and I chose to live in Christmas’ hope in 2017? What if we lived each day encircled in the truth of “God is with us?” And, what if we conducted our lives and experienced every situation through the wisdom, strength, grace, and love of Immanuel?
Would it make a difference? Would 2017 be different than 2016? Is it possible we would have more peace? More joy? More strength and less stress? Would our perspectives be brighter and our attitudes uplifted? Would we/could we impact our world?
I believe each answer is yes.
We may not be able to control all of life’s events and experiences in the year ahead, but living with the perspective of “God is with us,” 2017 may just be the year we grow exponentially in our faith. And, in doing so, we may just be the change we desire to see in this world.
I pray your Christmas holiday was wonderful, friend. But, if it wasn’t, know you aren’t alone. No matter what kind of holiday we experienced, Christmas’ hope is found in “God is with us.” Christmas’ hope is found in Jesus. Christmas’ hope is found in rediscovering Christmas.
I pray God opens our eyes to see Him at work in our lives. May He fill us to overflowing in Christmas’ hope in the days ahead. May He also grow us, strengthen us, and guide us as we embrace “God is with us” in 2017.
Blessings!
Julie
This is the last post in the series Rediscovering Christmas. You can find the previous posts here.
Linking this post with friends Holly, Kelly, Jennifer, and Holley.
Amen! And blessings to you as well in the new year.
I wrote a post on discovering the hope of Emmanuel as well. You can read it at:
https://plantedbylivingwater.wordpress.com/2016/12/18/hope-in-the-storm/
Happy Hope-filled New Year! 🙂
Thanks for this! Have a hope-filled 2017 as well. Blessings!
Amen! Like you said, we can’t control all the circumstances of our lives, but if we live with an awareness of His presence, it’s easier to trust His sovereign plans and care. Blessings in the New Year!
Yes, Donna. Thankful for His presence! God bless you in 2017. Thanks for your presence here.
Knowing Jesus is with me definitely gives me hope, peace, and joy year round. I can’t imagine not having Him!
I agree, Sarah. I can’t imagine life without Him either. Thanks for stopping over. Blessings in this new year!
Dear Julie, thanks for bring candid about Christmas not always being a Hallmark movie or greeting card. I appreciate your reminder that Christmas isn’t just one day, or what happens outside ourselves. “God is with us!” Can we add a loud Hallelujah to that? Blessings from your neighbor at Kelly’s
Amen, Alice. God is with us! May we live this truth out throughout our days in 2017. God bless you and thank you for coming by!
Since I have changed my email address to mrwhit1928@gmail.com I will really miss your SERMONS. To me that is what they are. Keep up the good work. And by the way you may take my wife’s name off of your mailing list. She is deceased as of 31 DE 2014.
Hi Richard! I changed your email address and I will also change our mailing list. Thank you for letting me know. Thank you for your continued encouragement. May God bless you in 2017!
Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful post, Julie! I am like you–I am not ready for Christmas to be over! It’s always a little sad when we put away the decorations and take down the tree. I still listen to Christmas music, and am totally with you on entering this new year with the joy of Christmas–praise God for our Emmanuel!
Yes, praise God! I still haven’t taken down our Christmas decor… that’ll happen this coming weekend. Until then, I’m enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas, still. Bless you in this new year!
Hope is my word for this year..I love that Debbie Macomber , author, chooses a word every year for her whole year and does things around that word. Reading your piece gave me my word I had been praying about… HOPE!!! Thank you for your writings , I so enjoy them and they are definitely written led by God. Wishing you a wonderful New Year, filled with all kinds of blessings…. Sandy
Hi Sandy! Yes, I love the concept of one word for the year, and your word for 2017 is inspiring! Thank you for sharing it here. I’m still “waiting” on my word. Will write about it when I have it. Thank you for your kind words and your presence here. May God bless you in 2017!