The Lights of Heaven
12/23/2006
It was a beautiful evening as we toured the neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights. We saw everything from Snoopy Dogs to Moose, from beautiful wreathes to reindeer…all in the spirit of Christmas. Who doesn’t like to set out on an adventure to see the lights that so many people have spent hours hanging on their homes and in their yards? And yet, as we drove around I could not help but to glance out of the window and look up at the night sky to God’s Heavenly Lights! They are the most beautiful of all the lights!
We miss God’s lights so often. We take them for granted, the billions and trillions of stars God created for us to enjoy each evening after the sun goes down. We forget to marvel at how our Lord has decorated the night skies for us. How He’s hung each star in place, in a perfect design.
The Wise Men looked up and followed a star right to baby Jesus. We don’t know how long the journey took them, but we do know that the star led them, and what they found was the Savior of the world under that shining star.
Oh the simplicity of our LORD…to have His Son born among the hay and animals. To bring a Baby into this world to save the wisest of men. To pick an innocent young woman to bear a King. God doesn’t need fanfare; He doesn’t need bright lights and decorations to make a statement. God’s statements are made gracefully, quietly and powerfully simply because He is God, He is all powerful, and He need not prove that to anyone. All other gods cannot compare.
God is. We can argue it, we can debate it, we can deny it, and we won’t change a thing except the conceptions of God we have in our own heads. We can say there is no Hell, but that doesn’t make Hell disappear. We can never think about our own death, but that doesn’t mean we won’t die. We can try to control our lives, but that doesn’t mean we are the one in control. God doesn’t need to fight for His right to be God. He was, is, and will always be.
It seems strangely distant now that years ago we would put up Christmas lights, buy the tree and decorate it, shop, make the cookies, and do whatever else the season of Christmas involved, but not fully embrace the greatest Gift of all, Jesus. It was all fun, and good with all the preparations and the celebrations with the family getting together—the Christmas turkey, the pies, the presents, and even the mess afterwards. But…what about Jesus? I believed it was His birthday, but He sort of got buried under all the wrappings and the leftovers and the presents to be enjoyed. I didn’t think about Him much, other than during a prayer before dinner and a trip to church to help us remember. It all seemed fine, and right, and good, and if you would have asked me I’m sure I would have said our lives were very blessed.
Things have changed now, and not for the worse, but for the better, When hearts have been through fiery trials, our focus changes. Perhaps that’s why I was called to notice the night sky, the lights hung in Heaven, because of all that God has done—now it seems that every day is Christmas in my heart. Every day we can feel like a child, about to discover some great gift that God has left along our path. Every day Jesus’ gift of eternal life can fill our hearts with hope and joy when He is everything we need.
How amazing it is that God knew exactly the perfect gift for every person born on this earth; His Son, the Savior of the world. There may be homes this year filled with gifts a plenty, and there will definitely be homes with no gifts, and even those without homes who feel the cold of the December air this Christmas morning more intensely than they would like—but that does not leave them without the greatest gift of all, a Savior. That does not leave them without lights that decorate where they live when they can look up into the night sky and see what God has displayed there for all who live here. God provides, He knows, He protects and cares and loves each and every one of us in the most special way possible—if we will remember to look up and remember where our blessings have come from.
Just the other day, I was on the way to the beach with my friend. It was my last day of vacation and what better way to spend it than at the beach in December! We had just gotten started on the drive when we noticed an elderly gentleman with a flat tire by the side of the road. Now, my friend and I had never actually changed a tire, but we stopped anyway to see what we could do. This man was a proud man, that was easy to see. He was from Puerto Rico and I’m sure he felt a little strange having two women help him do a “man’s job,” but he complied. We found out he was on the way to pick up his great-granddaughter from school, and he had ten minutes before he had to be there. He showed us pictures, and she was adorable. She was three years old, and waiting for him. God knew that, and God knew he would have been late had he not gotten some help from someone, and that someone was us on this day. Believe it or not, we had the tire off and the new one back on again within about eight minutes! His granddaughter would not have even known he had gotten delayed.
God’s gifts to us are plentiful, and they are year round, not just on Christmas day. Each day, God brings people into our lives to help us, to love us, to care for us and to be with us. If we think God is invisible, we have been blinded by the enemy, because God is everywhere! We are a people who need people, God designed us that way. God lives inside of those who will believe and works through His children in so many ways. When we reach out to others, when they reach out to us, it’s with the heart and hands of God that we do so. He is the love we share.
A few nights ago I was at the busy, busy mall with my daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
We had set off to have pictures taken with Santa. The line was long, and while I waited in
line with the children, Holly went off to take care of a few last-minute purchases. The
children in line were a variety of ages, and it was fun to see the little girls in their
Christmas dresses and the little boys in their Christmas vests. There were bows in the hair
and shiny shoes on their feet. They were going to meet “The Man,” and some even
had printed out lists of their requests.
Santa was a good looking guy, and in my thoughts on efficiency, I had a quick and mistaken thought that it might go more quickly if they could form two lines, to two different Santa’s…I laughed to myself…oh my, I’m getting old! Then Holly told me later they actually had that somewhere else, and the Santas were in a dome so the lines entered in and the children didn’t realize it had two sides with a Santa on each side! Someone else is old and was thinking efficiently also!
While in line, we moved along at a snail’s pace, but got to enjoy watching as the other
children sat upon Santa’s lap, and what I found to be so sweet was that all the parents
rejoiced with the other parents when the children were captured with a big smile for the picture.
One little girl of about 4 months old, with the biggest green bow on her head, smiled away for
the camera and the whole crowd let up an unrestrained “Ahhhhh….” Just writing
this now, it seems that was truly the spirit of Christmas displayed there in the middle of
the mall. Hearts reaching out to others, wanting the best for them, and in return, being cared
for themselves when it was their own child’s turn on Santa’s lap.
God doesn’t mind all the gift giving during this time of the year. He doesn’t mind all the lights, all the food, all the traveling, all the anything that goes on, in fact, He originated it. Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem because that is where Joseph’s family was. They were not headed there to see them, but to be counted in the census that was taking place. In fact, I heard an interesting thought just the other day that it wasn’t that Mary and Joseph had no place to stay in Bethlehem, they did, with Joseph’s family, but the reason there was no room for them was because of the “situation” they found themselves in. An unexpected pregnancy out of wedlock… God calls us to love, not to judge because we never know when we are judging a situation merely from our own human perspective!
That first Christmas, there were extra special lights in the night sky, directing the Wise Men to the new King. God was celebrating the birth of His Son by putting up His own lights! And gifts? They were brought also! They were gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. They were specially chosen for the new born King. I also learned just recently that two of the gifts were fit for a King, the other was sort of a strange gift to be offering to a new baby. The gift of myrrh. Myrrh was used in Jesus’ day when bodies were wrapped for burial so its pungent odor could neutralize the smell of decomposing flesh. Wow, that’s not quite what we would bring to a new baby, but the Father’s plan for His new Son’s life was already written about by the prophets. He was born to give His life for us.
That first Christmas was also a time for visitors. Not only did the Wise Men make their appearance, but the shepherds in the fields came to see the newly born King. And from what I heard recently, it wasn’t the highest ranking of the shepherds either. The ones who visited the birth of Jesus were the ones who stayed behind while the more respected shepherds took the best of the flock for sacrifice at the Temple. When we think we’ve missed the boat, when we think we’ve missed the best in life because we got left behind, we need to realize that God’s plan might include things that will be much more of a blessing had we left the post He has called us to.
I was once told a story by my grandma, of how she missed a boat one day in Chicago. She was a teenager, and she had gotten there too late to board the ship, which carried her friends. We know she worked for Western Electric around this time, and this was their annual company picnic. It was a day she would never forget because standing there on the dock, she watched as the boat toppled over, drowning 844 of its 2,572 passengers. It was the Eastland, and the article I just read about it says that it was top heavy due to recent modifications. “Ironically, the (last) fatal addition was more lifeboats.” They were added because of what had happened to the Titanic.
Photo of S.S. Eastland Capsized
Links to the:
Eastland Disaster Historical Society
And the
Chicago Public Library's webpage on the Eastland Disaster
Can you imagine such a sight? My grandma who survived multiple cancers, car accidents and a number of other things also missed the boat that may have taken her life on that day—if it had, I would not be here and writing this today. Nothing in this life is coincidental or accidental. It is in God’s plan, even as it was for those who made the ship’s departure on that day and lost their lives in the disaster. We can’t know all the whys or wherefores, but we can trust that God does.
“It is only the loyal soul who believes that God engineers circumstances.
We take such liberty with our circumstances, we do not believe God engineers them, although
we say we do; we treat the things that happen as if they were engineered by men. To be faithful
in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, and that is to our Lord. Suddenly God
breaks up a particular set of circumstances, and the realization comes that we have been disloyal
to Him by not recognizing that He had ordered them.”
O. Chambers “My Utmost For His Highest” December 18th
God ordered Jesus birth for all mankind, but He also ordered His death, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” (Romans 8:28 KJ) This is sometimes hard to swallow, especially during the Christmas season when it seems there is such joy all around and you might be one whose heart is broken. You might be one who isn’t able to join in on the festivities, who doesn’t care to buy a gift, to put up a decoration, to join with the family that is gathering together to celebrate. You’d rather just crawl under the covers and sleep the day away, wishing it would just be the New Year and you could start over again with a new heart.
You are not alone. Not only are there untold millions of people who feel the same as you, your Father in Heaven knows your pain also. God knew the day His Son was born, what Jesus had come to do. There had to be so many mixed emotions in the Father on that day during the celebration of the birth of His Son. God knew what the future held and yet He knew what was needed for all mankind, and He unselfishly gave His Son up for all those who would embrace Him.
He did it because of the very pain you feel in your heart on this day. He did it for you, to give you Hope that is everlasting. He did it so that when it seems there is no love to be had anywhere, you can find His love deep in your heart. God sent His Son to die so you can live each day fully no matter what you have experienced in this life. No hurt, no pain, no loss, no difficulty is more than God can handle if you will hand it over to Him.
Gifts are to be given, and God is the greatest Gift Giver of them all! He gave what was most precious to His most precious of creations, us! Just when we think we can’t celebrate, or we shouldn’t celebrate, or we see no reason to celebrate, God says celebrate!
Just when we think all hope is lost, God provides our Hope.
Just when we think we are unloved, God loves us beyond measure.
Just when we think no day could be harder, God blesses us with peace.
If there are no lights on your home this year, look up to the night sky and believe. If there are no presents under your tree to enjoy, look to God’s Word and find all the gifts you could ever want, offered there. If there are no friends or family to be with, or someone special is missing, know your Father/Friend is always with you.
We create a Christmas on earth that is only a shadow of the Christmas of Heaven. We copy God’s design of that first Christmas for one reason only, whether we realize it or not, and that’s because there is Hope in nothing else. We may miss it, we may not even think about it, but it is true. All those Christmases when I went through the motions with barely a thought of the deep eternal meaning behind it, had a purpose. It led me to this Christmas when it truly doesn’t matter if one light goes up, if one special food is eaten, if one gift is received, because our lives are blessed beyond measure with the gift of eternal life that is given through God’s only Son, Jesus, and every day is Christmas now!
Simple?
Yes.
As simple as a baby in a manger, one Who was brought to bring great joy to all the earth.
I think about Heaven often. I think about it because I have a son who lives there. I know he lives there because he believed in the birth and death of Jesus Christ. I know that when we believe, eternal life is ours, and there is great Hope in that. So this Christmas, and everyday, I quietly treasure these things in my heart as Mary did, and I think about them often.
“And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.” Luke 2:16b-19 (NLT)
Thank you for letting me share these thoughts with you through the years.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Diane
