forgiveness Archives - Page 3 of 4

My husband and I watched Christmas Town last night – the first Hallmark Christmas movie I have convinced anyone to watch with me this year. I admit I haven’t always appreciated them. Some seasons they seemed much too simple, cheesy and formulaic. I mean, they do all follow the same basic recipe. Girl from big city with lousy relationship somehow finds herself in a quaint little town with snow and Yuletide decorations galore. She happens upon a rugged stranger and sparks fly. But there is always some obstacle to them falling in love.

The roadblock, which is eventually overcome, usually takes the form of a job in another city or the previously mentioned lousy relationship. In the end, true love and happiness win out and the Christmas spirit is prominently displayed. The scripts contain no bad language and only one or two chaste kisses to seal the new relationship deal. It’s all very neat and cozy and sweet. And I just felt like I needed it.

I LOVE Christmas. It’s somewhat of a family joke. I love the music and decorations and horrible Christmas sweaters. I want to do ALL of the events – concerts and light tours and parties. I record all the classic Christmas specials and beg my husband and kids to watch with me. And even though I live in Texas, I dream of a white Christmas and serene family gatherings. But life isn’t really like a Hallmark Christmas movie, is it?

This is the third year in a row that my family experienced something really difficult right at holiday time. It’s hard, and somehow seems unfair due to the bill of goods we’ve been sold by card makers and retailers and story books alike. There isn’t always enough money. Decorations don’t always look perfect. Jobs don’t last forever, and relationships aren’t always easy. And that may not be the Norman Rockwell-esque picture of a modern Christmas, but I think it’s a lot like the first Christmas.

Scandal surrounded the birth of our King. Tongues wagged at the teenage, unmarried and pregnant Mary. Having little money to speak of, she walked or rode a donkey for mile after dusty mile with her betrothed. With no decent rooms available, they bedded down in a barn. When her contractions started, she was without her mother or midwife or ANYONE who knew of the birthing process. Mary must have been so frightened as many women didn’t survive childbirth before modern medicine.

They must have been so thirsty. Did Mary and Joseph have to drink the same water the animals were drinking? What must the smells have been like in that barn. And after Jesus came, did she have clothes to replace the ones covered in blood and afterbirth? Were the cattle really “lowing” as the popular carol states? Or were they freaked out by the screaming and crying associated with childbirth. And amidst all the chaos, our Savior was born. Our fate forever changed. (Find the story here.)

Nichole Nordeman’s “What Child is This/ Fragile” might be my new favorite Christmas carol. Between the verses of this song written over 150 years ago, the singer weaves in reminders of our current state:

This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary

On and on the rain will fall like tears from the star.

On and on the rain will say how fragile we are.

The heavenly mixed with the earthly. Weakness buoyed by strength. This, this is what Christmas is all about. His first coming was messy, just like our Christmases now. But He made Himself low and joined us in the mess out of love. And that’s how it will be until Jesus comes again. His light will penetrate our darkness. He will bring joy where there has been none. He will love us and rescue us time and again when we don’t deserve it. There’s nothing too messy for Him to step into. Jesus our Savior is with us, within us until He comes back here in bodily form to reign as a mighty King. Then all will be perfect forevermore for those who believe.

Do you know Jesus this Christmas? Not just the little baby in the manger, but the Savior who came to earth. He took the blame for all your sins and put them to death with Him on the cross. All you have to do is believe that He was born to die for you. Once you believe in His saving grace, He enters into your life – messes and all. He offers the ONLY forgiveness of sins and gives help and hope this Christmas. If you want to know more about His birth in a stable and death on a cross I would love to meet or correspond with you. Drop me a note here or keep it confidential by visiting the CONTACT tab on this page. I pray if you haven’t already, that you receive the best gift available today. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!

And look up these great writers I link up with every week:

InstaEncouragements, Literacy Musing Mondays, Hello…Monday,

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

BloggerClubUK, Tea and Word Tuesday, Purposeful Faith,

GraceFull Tuesday Link-Up, Hearth and Soul Link Party,

Let’s Have Coffee, Welcome Wednesday, Recharge Wednesday,

Worth Beyond Rubies, #TellHisStory Link Up, Porch Stories,

Encouraging Word Wednesday, Tune In Thursday,

Stories of Hope, Moments of Hope, IHeart Verse Link Party,

Legacy Link Up, Fresh Market Friday, Feature Friday Time,

Friendship Friday Blog Hop, Faith on Fire, Traffic Jam Weekend,

Faith ‘n Friends, Dancing with Jesus, Grace & Truth, Booknificent

Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

First things first: The winner of last week’s giveaway (A copy of Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters by Blythe Daniel and Helen McIntosh) is…Summer Marrero! Thank you so much to everyone who participated. And now, on to this week’s post.

During my formative years, I lived at the end of a long caliche road in Elm Mott, Texas. You blink and you miss this little country town driving up Interstate 35 from Austin to Dallas. My rich friend, Deanna, lived about half way down the road. Her family owned a bigger plot of land, a golf cart, and a trampoline. They lived in the only house with more than one story and the road bore their last name. In my book, Deanna was rich.

One Easter Sunday I remember her telling me about the egg hunt they have every year. Her parents hid plastic eggs all over their property and all the kids and grandkids kept their eyes peeled for the gold one. All the pretty pastel eggs held candy and fun trinkets. Those were ok. But the gold one – it had $50 inside. The golden egg turned this hunt into a sport. It was the coveted prize.

On Good Friday, we remember that God loved us so much that He made a way for relationship with us – now and for eternity. Romans 3:23 NIV disputes the myth that we can ever be good enough to earn God’s love and mercy (“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”). Because we sin, our punishment is death. And not just the ceasing of life that we all experience here on this earth. An eternal death that is separation from God – here and forever. (Romans 6:23 NIV “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[a]Christ Jesus our Lord.”) Jesus, who never sinned, took the punishment for all of us who have. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NIV He died on a cross, but death could not hold my King. Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death for us, allowing us to be in relationship with the perfect Creator of the Universe. It’s too much. I don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. And in His great love and mercy, we don’t have to try. Romans 10:9-10 NIV assures us, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

This is what we celebrate on Easter Sunday (and EVERY day).

Click To Tweet

The true “golden egg” of this holiday is this “gift of God”. This “eternal life in Christ Jesus” when we make Him Lord over the whole of ourselves. This freedom – worth immeasurably more than $50 – God offers freely to whoever will believe in it. In Him. You don’t have to search for this prize. Our Heavenly Father holds it out to you with an open hand. If you have questions about how to reach out and take it, I would love to visit with you virtually or in person. Email me confidentially at lauren@laurensparks.net. I can’t wait to talk to you more about my Savior. And I pray you find rest and refreshment in your “golden egg” this Easter.

“For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:36 NIV

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, please share to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to make sure you don’t miss anything, subscribe!

And look up these great writers I link up with every week:

Mix it Up Linky, InstaEncouragements, Literacy Musing Mondays, Hello…Monday,

Dream Team link up, The Good. The Random. The Fun.