Merry Christmas everyone!!!
As I was reflecting on what God has been speaking to me recently, I struggled deciding what exactly I should share. Earlier this week I had a totally different idea for this post. But I just kept feeling pulled back to this truth: “God’s plans are always good” Now, I know, that is so hard to believe sometimes. The loss of a loved one, the tensions of the holiday season, financial stress, overwhelming to-do lists, the weight of new year’s resolutions… whatever they may be for you, so many distractions surround us, making it harder to see the grace and love of Christ. How can we focus on the good in a world full of evil? How can we find light amidst such darkness? How can we have hope when circumstances seem so bleak? Though these questions are mostly rhetorical, I think some answers can be found in Christmas. Christmas trees: representations of life [evergreen] in the dead of winter Lights and candles: adding a little extra light as the sun sets earlier this time of year Gifts: reminders of the gift of Christ, God's love poured out for us. So, even when Christmas isn’t all it’s “wrapped” up to be, let us turn our focus back to Christ. Look to those little reminders. He is - life - light - love - He is all we need, especially when circumstances change and life falls short of our expectations. {“Happiness is based on chance. JOY is based on choice.” -Mike Madding} Let us choose Jesus today. Where happiness itself fails us, Christ never will. He really is “joy to the world,” coming to us in the most humble, human way. He came down to us, as a little baby, bringing life and love, hope and light. It wasn’t some pretty, polished, perfect, “Instagram worthy” arrival. It was dark and messy, small and ordinary. Think about it: the Jews had to wait, in darkness and silence, over 400 years for the arrival of their promised Savior. If you feel stuck or hopeless, you’re not alone. Remember that God keeps His promises, no matter how long it may take. He is always working for good. It may be subtle, ordinary, or incredibly hard to find... But joy exists. Hope can still be found. Love is here. Christ has come. That is Christmas.
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AuthorHi! My name is Rachel Schoeff, and I'm a college student in Cleveland, Ohio. With this blog, I aspire to share a little bit of what God is doing in my life, and use that to inspire others. We're all messy people, and we're never going to be perfect, but I hope that, together, we can all learn to embrace being "perfectly in progress." Archives
August 2019
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