Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on
December 1, 2015.
"No one wants to get hurt, but our wounds are where the light gets in."
I have a confession to make. I am a fan of Hallmark Channel Christmas movies. I know they're sappy, cheesy, and predictable with soap opera level acting at best for the most part, but yes, I love them. The good, the bad and the ugly I could watch them all. Or almost all anyway. I don't watch that many each year, because I love Christmas music as much, probably more, and it's one or the other. Since my wonderful wife also enjoys Christmas music and has better sense than I do when it comes to Christmas shows... I try not to make her suffer through too many bad movies and too much football this time of year. Yes, I love her that much.
But a couple of days ago, I turned on the Christmas movies to watch while unfolding the branches and putting up our main tree. We watched about a movie and a half. The second one, by far the better of the two in my opinion but still a B- quality flick at best, almost got bumped up to a B+ by having the line in it that I quoted above. Still, one great line does not a great book or movie make, and it already gets graded on the curve just for being Christmas themed.
This time of year can be more painful than any other as we involuntarily hold our life up against the standard of peace, joy and love surrounded by perfect and happy relationships with all mankind, especially family and those in our immediate locale. It's easy to see that our lives aren't perfect and even harder to ignore than usual as we prepare to act happy to be with people we don't want to be around or feel won't be happy to be around us. The loneliness that can hurt so much all year long can magnify to unbearable. Rejection and loss can weigh more than we can carry. What is supposed to be a time of celebration and joy can simply point out all the reasons we have not to rejoice, every little hurt intensifies and excuses our instinct to hide in a corner licking our wounds rather than sing for joy.
People who feel more miserable at Christmas than less tend to start dreading this holiday about two seconds after the first sales start, sometime in October. But the glaring imperfections of our lives during the season can be a blessing. Sometimes the pain and problems are as impossible to ignore as a string of lights that just won't shine. And that's a good thing. If one bulb is out, we might can ignore it. Perhaps it's on the back side of the tree and we fail to even notice. But when an entire string goes out, something has to be done.
Our wounds are what cause us to realize that we are still in need of a Savior. Our lack and our pain and our inability to do it all and fulfill our own lives or the lives of those we love make us feel the need for Emanuel, for God to be with us. And because of the King born in Bethlehem, we have access to Daddy and help. We can cry out to Him and hope with a secure assurance that we will be visited by The Comforter. If there is an area, in our lives that doesn't measure up, let us use it to drive us to the manger to bow the knee to our Savior, rejoicing with the understanding that healing, restoration and glory are coming and that we can look forward to the time when there will be no more need, no more lack and no more brokenness. Until that time arrives, let us reach out to others in love and not be afraid of the wounds that have showed us that we need a Healer. Without them, we'd be dying and lost in the dark without being able to receive the hope that seeing the Star in the night brings.
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