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A Weary World Rejoices…and Grace and Truth Link Up

December 25, 2020 by Lauren 26 Comments

A coronavirus holiday season lacks in the festive department for this pseudo-elf, and my teenager prefers not to do too much with the family.  That is my state of the situation address.  But I tried my best to “Christmas” (if I may use it as a verb), which included WAY more cheesy holiday movies and shows than usual – 15+ in 22 days.  I won’t bore you with all the titles but you can ask me if you want recommendations.  I will tell you that if you like the Hallmark-type flicks, Midnight at the Magnolia on Netflix is really a New Year’s movie.   You should put on your agenda this week.

 

The sweet hubs and I took our Shelby to THREE drive thru events.  This seems to be everyone’s solution for distancing.  Two were forgettable, while the one put on by the Dallas Children’s Theater delighted us.

 

My Allie’s high school jazz choir delivered singing Christmas cards (in the form of front yard caroling) as a fundraiser for two of the four weekends this month.  We hired them one night and invited neighbors to come outside for a melodious and socially distanced treat.  A good friend of Allie’s invited her to see her dance in The Nutcracker while Chuck and I went to an outdoor version of the classic with friends at Lake Grapevine!  Our school also managed to put on a safe Winter Choir concert for us to witness the culmination of a semester’s work.  Allie sang with two choirs and performed a solo rendition of “White Christmas”.  It always thrills me to hear my songbird perform. To watch and listen, click here. 

 

I managed to watch a couple of non-Holiday related things.  The King’s Speech, Joy and the Netflix series Away fascinated and entertained us.  I will warn you ahead of time that the streaming giant opted not to bring Away back for a second season, but the one is worth watching anyway.  And we actually went to the theater to see Honest Thief and a free preview Premiere of WW84 (that’s Wonder Woman 1984 if you haven’t been waiting with baited breath for this one like me).  If you enjoy Wonder Woman at all – SEE THIS.  And watch for the fun surprise cameo.  My only complaint is that when she is supposed to be sick, weak and tired, Gal Gadot still looks better than 99.9% of us.  I guess that’s part of the “wonder” of this woman.

 

My teenager finished up her exams just in time for our son and 4 littles to descend on us for a few days.  Chaos and fun and festive activities ensued.  My parents, sisters and families and brother-in-law’s family came to see us and the out of town guests in the front yard with masks.  Boy will I be thankful when we don’t have to be so careful or so brief.  As I write this, we have just canceled our plans to attend Christmas Eve service at church, and a road trip to spend a couple of days with my in-laws.  My husband and one daughter tested positive for Covid.  Merry Christmas to us.

 

To change gears a little, I see the title of this blog post everywhere right now.  Most of us relate to this lyric from “O Holy Night” to some extent.  This month, and this year, included good moments, milestones and celebrations.  But also more bad moments, grief and tragedy than I sometimes thought I could endure.  Nights filled with tears of grief are far from “silent”, and I see a lot chaos when “Away in a Manger” says things are “calm and bright”.  But the words of my favorite carol explain how we can rejoice even though we feel weary:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.

We make mistakes and sin against our creator.  But because Jesus came here and was born in that smelly barn, we have worth and can know our worth.  God found us not just worthy of creating, but worthy of saving – worthy of love and relationship with Him – worthy of sending His only son to die in our place.  What a sacrifice.  What a Savior!

 

We find a “thrill of hope” that He came and that He will come back for those who love Him.  And I can hardly contain myself when I think of what He will usher in when He comes again.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.

We don’t carry out His laws perfectly here, which is why peace can feel so elusive.  But one day, He promises to set all things right.  I can’t stop the grateful tears now anticipating this (although there probably is some fatigue and disappointment mingled in those tears).  But even here, even in 2020, trusting in Him and believing that all He says is true can break our chains and fill us with a love and peace like no other.  This is my “Grown Up Christmas List” for us all.  Better yet, this is my prayer.  That you rejoice in Christ on this day and all the rest.

 

Merry Christmas,

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

Donna from Serenity in Suffering wrote a post that beautifully encapsulates the theme of my month end review.  When You are too Weary to Rejoice speaks to the heaviness I feel right now, but offers hope, encouragement and even prescriptions for overcoming that weariness.  Thank you, Donna.

 

 

Grace and Truth_Rules

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

 

Grace Truth_Button

 

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Filed Under: Christian, Christmas, Coronavirus, Grace & Truth Link Up, joy, monthly review Tagged With: 2020, December

Comments

  1. Linda Stoll says

    December 25, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    All is calm, all is bright!
    Thank You, Jesus …

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 25, 2020 at 2:33 pm

      I don’t know about calm and bright. Not here today. But it will be one day. For that I am thankful.

      Reply
  2. Heather Hart says

    December 25, 2020 at 4:12 pm

    Praying your family recovers quickly 💕

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 26, 2020 at 3:14 pm

      Thank you, Heather.

      Reply
  3. Wemi Omotosho says

    December 26, 2020 at 6:44 am

    Merry Christmas Lauren! Sorry to hear about the positive covid tests – praying for strength and grace for you all. ‘A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn…’ – that line from ‘O Holy Night’ is possibly my favourite at the moment – we need dawn badly but I’m thankful for the Hope that it’s about to break. Wishing you a happy new year in advance! x

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 26, 2020 at 3:14 pm

      Thank you for your prayers, Wemi. We do need that dawn to break right now, don’t we.

      Reply
  4. Laurie says

    December 26, 2020 at 8:04 am

    Love the idea of the jazz choir caroling on front lawns as a way to celebrate Christmas in an outdoor, socially-distancing way. Hope your Christmas was happy!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 26, 2020 at 3:13 pm

      It was less than happy, but we survived it. Thanks, Laurie.

      Reply
      • Laurie says

        December 30, 2020 at 1:32 pm

        Ugh! Lauren!!! How did I miss the part where you wrote about the positive COVID tests in your family? I am so sorry!!! Of course, your Christmas was less than happy. I am praying for your family’s health and safety. Reading more carefully the next time.

        Reply
        • Lauren says

          December 31, 2020 at 1:01 pm

          No worries, Laurie. Thank you for the prayers.

          Reply
  5. Donna says

    December 26, 2020 at 11:46 am

    Lauren I loved your post, because of your transparency and authentic approach to your holiday situation. You’re right, sometimes all is NOT calm and bright, & that’s OK. What also blessed me was in the realistic view of your holidays, you still speak hope, which is hard to do sometimes. I’m so sorry you must walk this difficult path this Christmas and am praying for you and you family. Thank you for featuring my post here, which means it blessed you in some small way, praise God!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 26, 2020 at 3:13 pm

      I am always blessed by your posts, Donna. Thank you for your prayers.

      Reply
  6. Wise Hearted says

    December 28, 2020 at 12:18 pm

    Well we are sisters in Covid…thank God I am recovering and beginning to feel normal. I get tired quickly but its could and the land is covered in snow so I don’t mind staying in and resting. I have finally got back to blogging and reading others, it has helped my soul..Thank you for a lovely post.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 28, 2020 at 1:47 pm

      I am so glad to hear you are on the mend. Thanks for reading and encouraging me.

      Reply
  7. Shelbee on the Edge says

    December 28, 2020 at 1:40 pm

    Another wonderful post, Lauren. A weary world we are, indeed. And some have struggled more than others this year, but I think I can safely say that we have all struggled in one way or another. I am so sorry to hear of your Covid results. I hope everyone is recovering and starting to feel okay again. I always love to hear Allie sing when you post her videos. She is one seriously talented young woman bringing cheer and shining her beautiful light into the world! You must be super proud of her. Well done, momma! Thanks for sharing and linking with me.

    Shelbee
    http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 28, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      I wish I could take some credit for Allie’s talent, but she didn’t get it from me. Thank you so much for your well wishes.

      Reply
  8. anita holland says

    December 28, 2020 at 3:52 pm

    Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 28, 2020 at 4:49 pm

      Same to you, Anita.

      Reply
  9. Shelly says

    December 29, 2020 at 9:26 am

    So sorry your Christmas plans were cancelled! We had covid over Thanksgiving and while it wasn’t ideal, I have had some relief having it behind me. We still have 3 out of 8 that did not get it.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 29, 2020 at 5:02 pm

      My whole household is now down. Also not ideal but it’s actually a little easier than trying to isolate part of the family.

      Reply
  10. Paula Short says

    December 29, 2020 at 5:31 pm

    Love this Lauren, Amen. Rejoice in the Lord always ,and again I say rejoice. Merry Christmas and a blessed 2021.
    Visiting from Inspire Me Monday.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 30, 2020 at 11:19 am

      Happy New Year, Paula. I’m not sure what I’m going to wear yet on New Year’s eve to go to my living room, but I’ll figure it out! Thank you for visiting. Hope you come back.

      Reply
  11. Carol says

    December 29, 2020 at 8:02 pm

    I hope you had a blessed holiday – Happy New Year!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 30, 2020 at 11:18 am

      Happy New Year, Carol.

      Reply
  12. Lesley says

    December 30, 2020 at 11:01 am

    O Holy Night has been my favourite carol for a long time, but the words particularly resonate this year. I’m glad you and your family got to do some fun things despite the challenges, and I hope everyone is on the mend.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 30, 2020 at 11:18 am

      Thank you, Lesley!

      Reply

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I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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