Here With Us
“It’s still a mystery to me, oh,
How His infant eyes had seen the dawn of time,
How His ears had heard an angel’s symphony,
But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep.”
I told myself back in October that I would slow down and take in this holiday season. I said that I would not rush through these days without keeping my focus fixed on my Savior. I would blog about thankfulness and my son's 2nd birthday and advent. I would get my shopping done early. I would not allow stress and busyness to affect the way I talk to my husband or keep me from baking my neighbors cookies or from dropping off those toys and clothes to Goodwill.
But, it is 9 days away from Christmas and I have failed on all accounts. I have said (out loud) that I am just ready for the holidays to be over. I have gone to different work and church Christmas parties with a smile on my face and drove home feeling numb and tired from all that is on my to-do list. I have been cold and disagreeable towards my husband on more than one occasion. I have worried more about pleasing friends and family than pleasing my God. My neighbors have not seen my face in weeks and I haven't blogged since before Halloween. I don't think I'm gonna get a Christmas card out this year and I have done zero, yes, zero Christmas shopping. Bah, Humbug!
I remember the first time Christmas really and truly meant something to me. I have known the "real meaning of Christmas" since I was very small. I read the story of Jesus' birth growing up and knew that it was important and special and worth celebrating and singing about. I would be worshipful and thankful for Christ's birth at Christmas, but somehow, in my heart of hearts Santa and, then later, consumerism and social events always overshadowed Jesus. Then one night, sitting in a Barnes & Noble parking lot in Round Rock, TX at 25 years old, a random song came on the radio and the Holy Spirit changed my heart forever. It was a song called "Here With Us" sung by Joy Williams...before she became a brunette and was part of the popular duo The Civil Wars.
"It's still a mystery to me
That the hands of God could be so small
How tiny fingers reaching in the night
Were the very hands that measured the sky
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah, son of God, servant King
Here with us, You're here with us
It's still a mystery to me
How His infant eyes had seen the dawn of time
How His ears had heard an angel's symphony
But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah, son of God, servant King
Here with us, You're here with us
You're here with us
Jesus, the Christ, born in Bethlehem
A baby born to save, to save the souls of man"
Something came over me. I got it. I felt it.
The weight of truth that the King of Kings had come as a human baby.
The goodness of God to make a way for me.
The fulfillment of so many promises. And Hope.
I sat in my car and bawled my eyes out. Christ had come to us. He had come to me. He wasn't a distant, unreachable, uncaring God. He became like me so that He could take my place and so I could be with Him. God...with...us.
And He is with us, friends. He's there in my busyness and my stillness. He doesn't change or flake out just because I do. He has heard every cry for help and He has seen every tear. He does not grow tired of us in the way we do with one another and His love for us does not fade.
This morning my son woke up crying. His eyes still closed but his arms stretched out. I quickly went into his room and reassuringly said, "Mama's here, mama's here." Immediately, I could see a sense of peace come over him as his cries stopped and a smile came across his face. Without opening his eyes, he reached for me and grabbed hold of my hair (as he usually does when I'm holding him) and went back to sleep.
He realized he wasn't alone.
And neither are we. I don't know about you, but this makes me take a deep breath and sigh with relief. Jesus doesn't leave me alone to stay in my busyness and "Scrooge-ness". He has come as a light in such darkness to give us hope and to heal us. This brings me peace and comfort on days like today when I read about over a hundred children in Pakistan being shot and killed while sitting in their classrooms. Sometimes the darkness and all thats wrong in this world, makes it difficult to even breathe.
But He has come. He is with us. And He will come again to make all things right.
I have 9 days left until Christmas and I still have shopping to do, but my eyes are on the manger and my heart is still with thankfulness and hope.
The Son of God, Servant King, is here with us.
love always and Merry Christmas,
Cara