Born to Die

They never knew a dark night
Always had the Son's light on their face
Perfect in glory, broken by the story
Of untold grace, come that day

Majesty had come down, glory had succumbed now
To flesh and bone
In the arms of a manger, in the hands of strangers
That could not know, just who they hold

And the angels filled the sky
All of heaven wondered why
Why their King would choose to be
Be a baby born to die

And all fell silent for the cry of an infant
The voice of God
Was dividing history for those with eyes to see
The Son would shine from earth that night

And the angels filled the sky
All of heaven wondered why
Why their King would choose to be
Be a baby born to die, be a baby born to die

To break the chains of guilt and sin
To find us here, to pull us in
So we can join in heaven's song
And with one voice around the throne

All the angels filled the sky
And I can't help but wonder why
Why this King would choose to be
Be a baby born for me, be a baby born
Be a baby born to die

 

-Jason Ingram and Bebo Norman

Change and Peace

Seasons are crafty, changing in the most delicate ways, so subtle, one can find it hard to recall exactly when warm days left and long nights came. They creep in like a dream with all it's stillness that one can hardly notice it came.

Winter is coming, the year is winding to a close, and for many people that brings to mind the Winters and years past with all the joy, beauty, sorrow, love and hurt that may have been a part of them.

Life is sweet and beautiful and incredibly hard. When I think about life and am tempted to see failures and mistakes, I think of Philippians 3:13, that says, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead".
We don't have to worry about the future when we know that we are "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13b-14)

I find myself looking back now and I think of how very different things were this time last year, and how His grace has carried me, brought through so much change. Some changes have been, at times, lighter than a breeze gently touching my face, and at other times seemed to have equaled a strong wind that so painfully stole away all breath from my lungs and I wondered how I'd recover. Yet still I can say through it all, He is faithful and loves me with a greater love and cares for me with a greater care than could ever be found in all of the worlds in all of the universe.

If the pain seems to much, I can find hope in the fact that my Savior has suffered far greater than I have, He knows and understands my weakness and can carry me in His unending grace so that I may endure. When it is easy and when it is hard, I can have faith and hope in His love. With each change, be it small or immense, I have learned of His good will, experienced His joy, and felt His very heart just a little more.

I don't know how the story ends, and yes, there are times in between that are difficult, but I can have faith, that it will be alright, because He wrote it. I know the Author. The One who promises that all things work together for good to those that love God, HE writes my story.

Yes, He is good. So, though I may not understand His timing or purpose, I don't need to, I only need to look back on His faithfulness over my entire life and be filled with faith, hope, and love....

So if I could speak to you right now, from my heart I would tell you that He knows you far better than you know yourself. That even though you may not understand why the Lord is doing (or not doing) what He's doing, trust that He sees from beginning to end, He knows when the small sparrow falls and He loves you more than many sparrows. Have faith that He can and He will work every moment you can't understand to His glory.

Look up at the crystal night stars. Our Creator has named every one of those star and yet He knows your name, your every thought, dream, need.

 

His love is unconditional, so infinitely truer than any love we can comprehend, and everlasting. He only is deserving of all our faith, hope, and love.

 

 

May you be filled with His grace and peace, dear sister (or brother) in Christ, this day, and ever day to come.