Merry Christmas

Wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas.  


I was blessed to read a devotional from a friend of mine from Baylor.  She is the mother of a severely disabled child and faces challenges every day, that I can't even begin to imagine.  She is a precious believer and she wanted to encourage us this Christmas with some of her thoughts.


The main point of the devo was this.  For Mary and Joseph, the first Christmas was probably not at all what they expected or maybe even wanted.  After traveling so far, had God not even provided a place for them to stay?  When Mary's water broke that night, had God really intended for her to have this baby in a dirty smelly barn?  Surely God did not know the baby was coming tonight. Surely He, if He cared, if He really was paying attention to them, would never have wanted this.  This is not at all what they would have planned.  But yet, it was exactly what He planned.  He had a reason and a purpose for this not being what we would consider the Norman Rockwell picture of the first Christmas.


This was so encouraging to me.  This Christmas, even though it seems a little off, not exactly what we would have planned.  Surely this is not how the Lord would want this day to go, surely He is missing something, not realizing what is happening?! But He does, He is, and He is with us. God with us, right,?Isn't that what Christmas is all about?  We may feel like we are in the stinky stable, not exactly what we would have planned, but God did.  He is here with us, with me.  He loves to shine His glory, His beauty in the ugliest of places, the smelly places.


This morning, Dad had a pic line (sp?) put in, so that he could receive the nutritional IVs easier than mom having to stick him every time.  He went to a new Dr. in Dallas yesterday, and this Dr. thinks he can help Dad feel better.  They are starting him on a different set of nutritional IVs today, so we will pray that these lift him up, physically, as well as emotionally. 


They go back to MD Anderson right after Christmas.


They are driving back right now from Dallas, and not sure where they will stay tonight, my house or the Ranch, not sure which church service, if any, they will be able to make.  Not exactly what they pictured their perfect Christmas Eve to be like.  But we will praise God, that we, like Mary and Joseph, were not sure about these plans, His plans, but God was and is.  It may not look or feel like we think it should, but God is working His perfect plan and purposes in our lives.


To Him be Glory for Ever and Ever, Amen
JJ