E-Newsletters

A Good Word Cooking for a Crowd FYI Moments for Moms Pages and Tunes Reflections Side by Side Unlimited! Women@Work Laugh Lines

Daily Prayer Focus

Pray for the World

Pray for Assemblies of God World Missions administration.

Reader Poll

How do you like the new Leaders Unlimited Web site? I didn't find it helpful. It's okay. I love it! View Results

Reflections

The Wrappings of Christmas

Our Reflections this month focus on the “Wrappings of Christmas”—not the tissue and foil we use for gift wrappings, but the traditions, circumstances and memories that surround the holiday. Sometimes gifts are lost in the wrappings. As we reflect on the holiday, we will focus on the Gifts of Christmas, not the wrappings of the season.

The Gift Wrapped in Sorrow and Sadness

In the make-believe world of story and song, media and imagination, Christmas glows with radiant joy around the world. In the real world, Christmas arrives wrapped in sadness and sorrowful circumstances for many people.

Separation from those who are dear keeps many from enjoying Christmas. In 1986 our older daughter went with her new husband to his family home for Christmas. Our younger daughter was in Europe on a missions assignment. My husband and I planned to go to my parents for Christmas, but an ice storm kept us from going.

For the first time in my life, I was separated from almost all my family at Christmas—an occasion for a real pity party. But many people are separated from their families for more serious or permanent circumstances. Christmas may not be a time of celebration for them.

Sickness also wrecks Christmas celebrations at times. The hospitals will be full of people with many kinds of illnesses on the holiday. But even something as simple as the stomach flu can keep us from celebrating.

One Christmas we had all the presents under the tree, the pies and salads made, everything done but popping the turkey in the oven. But the girls and I woke up Christmas morning with the stomach flu, and my husband had it before the day was over. We were all too sick to know what day it was and had no thought of celebrating.

“Death knows no holiday” the saying goes.  A friend of mine approaches Christmas somberly this year because last year her husband died on Christmas Day. Two years in a row in the 1980s we had deaths at Christmas—one a natural death of a 90-year-old, the other—a tragic death by car accident. Similarly, many families will be touched by death and tragedy this Christmas season.

Into this kind of real world, an angel came with the startling announcement to a night crew of shepherds:

“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born.” The sky then filled with countless number of angels saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:10–14, NIV).

“Great joy” and “peace” may not be in the minds of people experiencing sorrow and sadness at Christmas, but the angels’ message is for them specifically. The angels knew suffering is only the wrappings; the gift is a Savior who alleviates suffering.

Have you ever wondered why the announcement was made to shepherds? I did, until I realized the Savior would be introduced later by John the Baptist as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” It is most appropriate to announce the birth of a lamb to shepherds.

Not only was this Savior the Lamb of God, but He himself would be “a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering,” according to Isaiah. As such He would be the one who “took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.”

The joy and peace the angels sang about comes from knowing the Savior who takes away our sin and understands our suffering. It is possible to have Christmas peace and joy in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Points to Ponder

How is your Christmas coming—packaged in the bright red of tradition or packaged in black or gray? Do you see others for whom Christmas is coming in dismal packages? What steps can you take to separate the packaging from the gifts of a Son and a Savior?

PEGGY MUSGROVE is a licensed Assemblies of God minister. She is also a speaker, freelance writer, author and prayer group leader. Her latest book, Musings of a Maraschino Cherry was released in 2004.. You can visit her at www.musgroveville.com.

Like what you've read?

Subscribe to this email newsletter at
www.womensministriesunlimited.ag.org/newsletters