And The Day Came

On the last day of school, in June, 1965, I stood in the parking lot and paused to look back at the buildings that had been the central focus of my life for the previous four years and marveled. It was almost too much to absorb–I was graduating. It was over. All the fun, the angst, the work, the studying, homework, tests, the daily structure, routine. Done. The day that I had only imagined for most of my life what it would feel like had finally come. 

In the decades since, I’ve had numerous similarly epiphanic days, wedding day, childbirth, grandchildren birth, death of a parent, each and all moments noted with a sober recognition of how a thing hoped for, dreaded, or otherwise anticipated, finally does happen, no matter how long it seemed to take in the coming. 

Twenty-eight centuries ago, God’s prophet, Isaiah, proclaimed a child would be born who would change everything. Isaiah didn’t say when this miracle would occur, just that it would. Eight centuries after Isaiah’s prediction, Jesus was indeed born in a most unexpected way and place in Bethlehem. In the lengthy time span from the original prophesy to the ultimate fulfillment, there was plenty of speculation about how and when the day would unfold. Over time, assumptions distorted the great Jewish hope from birth of a savior to expectation of a warrior deliverer. Some had all but forgotten about the promise altogether. Not surprisingly, when the day did come, many did not recognize the meek and non-warrior like personage of Jesus. If it had not been for some selective angel visits to shepherds and a dedicated group of wise men, the birth of Emmanuel, God With Us, might have gone completely unnoticed. And surely this was by Divine design. 

The thing about time is that God owns it and He is therefore not bound by our clocks and calendars so He does things in His way and in His time, to our dismay. But, without a doubt, He does keep His promises. Isaiah counted on the birth of the Prince of Peace, though he didn’t live to see Him, but because he trusted implicitly that God does keep promises. 

Two thousand years hence, Christians still celebrate the Promise that Jesus will return. Those who like to point out that it isn’t going to happen because it has taken too long just don’t understand about God’s timing, God’s expectations of patience from His faithful and God’s undeniable reliability. Like the Jews before us, we anticipate the Day without giving up because we know He is faithful. He will come, as promised. It’s scheduled. Not even Jesus could say the hour or the day, only our Father in Heaven has that privileged information. 

But one day, just when many have forgotten or given up, when the concept of Christ’s return has become a vague memory, He will keep the appointment and the long awaited Day will happen. 

And we will marvel.

Merry Christmas

(not happy holidays or season’s greetings)

For Him,

Meema

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

In The Bleak Mid-Winter

In the bleak mid-winter, the frosty wind did moan

The earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone

Snow had fallen softly, snow on snow on snow

In the bleak mid-winter, oh so long ago

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him nor the earth sustain

Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign

In the bleak mid-winter a stable place sufficed

For the Lord almighty, Jesus Christ

Oh, what can I give Him, woeful as I am

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb

If I were a wise man, oh, I would do my part

Yet, what can I give Him 

I will give my heart

Oh, what can I give Him 

I will give my heart 

In the timeline of modern mankind, regardless how one perceives the when, how and why homo sapiens came into existence, there are repeating patterns of periods of humankind rising to a state of relative excellence and then subsequently plummeting into abject misery, which seems to be fallen man’s natural state. 

Keeping it real, there has never been a Utopian time on earth, nor can there be as devised by man. Nevertheless, there have been eras when peace was more prevalent than strife, creative human endeavors–art, literature,  music–impacted civilization positively instead of negatively, and psychotic behavior, deemed unacceptable, was a more manageable social ill. 

In these short periods of civilized growth, reason, logic and innovation flourished. The hallmarks of mankind on the ascent include, but are not limited to, the attributes of, honesty, honor/personal integrity, benevolence, selflessness, and a humble recognition of a fundamental moral law as set in place by a divine higher authority.  

Conversely, on the descent, mankind firstly and always adamantly rejects all notion of divine authority and moral law, readily embraces lies, lying, and liars as the norm and therefore becomes, by choice, untrustworthy, self-centered, and given over to crass, simple-minded language and lewd visual/auditory stimulus, abandoning any and all things time-proven, in a mindless pursuit to satisfy addictions to and insatiable hungers for counter-productive things that lead ultimately to self-destruction. 

In a declining era, any possibility of great uplifting thinking, common sense, and pursuit of true spiritual righteousness must be abandoned and dismissed as archaic, out of date, and useless in order to further the cause of a society based on self-worship. In the last stages, these qualities often must be made illegal. 

This is not new; it is an ancient pattern and the Bible chronicles this continuing process, from way back when to right now, the rising up and falling down, and the subsequent crying out for the very mercy so easily having been dismissed as myth and superstition. The woefully addicted shake their fists and shout, “Where is God?” when they finally hit bottom, analogous to children who disobey in self-assured insubordination only to instantly wail for help when things go awry, illusions dissolve, and life becomes untenably real.

In His unfathomable mercy, God, having grown tired of watching the reruns, gave us a way out of this unfortunate accumulatively destructive pattern. He gave us a new, indestructible temple, not made with hands, and a balanced, sustaining way of life. Not a new religion, not an updated, revised, more tolerant moral law. But a Divinely Ordered, Unimpeachable Standard that is not bound to the vulnerabilities and whims of this doomed planet. 

As the bleak mid-winter of decimated morals and self-idolization implodes into itself, as it must, know there is a warm safe place, where in to hide from the chaos, that He established for those who are willing to enter. But also know that the call, once and always a gentle offer to, “Come ye out” is now being effectively silenced by the roar of the beast. To hear it, your ears must be fully open. To obey it, you must be willing to be an unacceptable, rejected oddball. 

To trust it, you must completely let go of your own understanding and give Him your heart, fearlessly.

For Christ,

Meema

“Merry Christmas!” She said, and then she winked, as they hauled her off to a reeducation camp. No one ever saw her again but some never forgot her smile. It wasn’t so much defiant as it was peaceful, as though she was assured completely how it all would end–no matter what they wanted everyone to believe.

Taking a Break

Sometimes I have so much to say, I work on drafts of two or three posts simultaneously. It's as though everything is mixed together in the bottom of a long-necked bottle and fighting to get out the narrow passage. I often struggle with hanging it up and quitting because, in fact, it matters very little what I think, so why say it? This is where I am today so I conclude that perhaps I need a break, need to get quiet, ask some questions, get some clarity.

In the meantime, I'll leave this up for the joy of it.

Uniquely Performed 'Angels We Have Heard On High' Will Astound You from djbeats on GodTube.

For Christ,
Meema

(Luke 2:8) And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.  (2:9) And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  (2:10) And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people:  (2:11) for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.