Today evolved into one of those occasions where I learned of various crises with people who crossed my path. Several of my facebook "friends" wrote of grief and anxiety causing events. This afternoon I discovered two people were also dealing with grief as well as illness in the family. Some days it just pays to listen and be open as you interact with others. One can only hope all of these situations will conclude in the best way possible. My prayer is for God to be involved in all of this to reveal His power along with His comfort. You know that this time of the year brings enough stress on its own. Every trouble gets magnified greatly amid all of the music and lights.

Here are real life examples of some ideas we mentioned recently here. Difficulty does not take a holiday as we march through December. We cannot simply wish these heartaches away. It's not my purpose to be a messenger of bad news. My goal is to simply remind us that we should be on guard continuously so that our faith remains alive. It would be far too easy to just let the mystique of the season to lure us from our anchor. Movies and other media will tell us how magical is the time of Christmas. Do not get me wrong. These are indeed very unique days to celebrate the birth of our Lord. But we also keep our eyes wide open to uncover all the meaning of the holiday.

Jesus comes into the world not as an escape from its harsh reality. Never forget that even His birth occurs in a very real setting. A manger is much the same as a barn. Does anyone today really choose to give birth in a barn where animals gather? Jesus enters our world by declaring that He is one of us. His entire life will revolve around the stark truth of those in need. He does not hide from our troubles but displays a willingness to alter our human condition. His death only adds to the validity of His person. He will be betrayed, denied, mocked and then killed in a violent fashion. God surely understands the pain of humanity. Also recall that Jesus chooses to spend time following Easter with those very followers who performed so poorly only a few days prior. He does not just check out to return to heaven. His choice is to let those disciples know that there is a better way both now and in the future.

Be sure that you capture all of the beauty of the holidays. Winter will soon lose some of its wonder as we slip into the start of a new year. Cold weather may not slow us in our Christmas shopping but it does put a damper on activity once the bills come due. Know that our Lord will still be longing to be involved in life no matter how harsh or even cruel it may seem. He can handle our reality. But the question becomes can we handle Him as we struggle along? He may not fix our life to be easy but He will fill our life as me move toward eternity.

Bro. Trey