Not insignificant

This morning, on December 23, we celebrated Christmas because I work a 24-hour shift on Christmas Eve, and my husband works in the ER on Christmas Day. Santa delivered our packages last night, and we appreciate his accommodation of our busy schedules! Up until today, our days of December have been filled with Christmas activities. We’ve shopped, wrapped gifts, baked cookies, tried new Christmas recipes, sent out Christmas cards, gone to see “A Christmas Carol” at Actors Theater in Louisville, mailed gifts, and tried to remember many people this season. As much as I have enjoyed it, it has also been a little exhausting. 

After waking up at seven this morning to open gifts, make breakfast cinnamon rolls, and start the pot roast in the Dutch oven, I watched several Christmas movies—and then took a nap. This afternoon, while my husband was assembling my daughter’s doll house, I took a few moments to sit by the tree, sip coffee and read my Bible devotionals from the YouVersion Bible app.

One of these devotionals was geared toward the Christmas season. I like it because it helps to remind me what Christmas is really about. Despite the hustle and bustle of the season, I’ve tried to keep my focus on the birth of our Lord. I’ve tried to wrap my mind around how much God loves us—that He would send Jesus into this world to show us His love, to show us how to love, and to save us. My devotional today focused on the fact that Bethlehem was crowded with probably more than a million people arriving to town for the census. I imagined trying to go to another town today, for something similar, and not being able to find a single hotel room. I suppose the worst case scenario for me might be that I would have to sleep in my car for the night. 

I think about Mary, in her pregnant state, being transported by a donkey for miles and miles, and going into labor. Joseph had to find shelter for her; and of all places, it was in a stable. There, that night, she gave birth to Jesus, while the animals in the stable ate their dinner, slept, or stood by. I can imagine the stench in the air, the discomfort of the straw bed, and the little creatures crawling about. There was no crib or bassinet for Jesus. No, He was placed in a manger, a food trough for animals.

This amazing and true story reminds me how God does incredible things in our lives that may seem insignificant to us. God is not impressed with the man-made glitz and glamour of this world. Mary and Joseph were not put up in a high-end hotel that night with room service and a view of the lake. In fact, they had very little comfort in their surroundings. 

I think that sometimes God takes us into places of pain or discomfort or places that seem substandard to us. We question why we have to endure things that we don’t think we should have to endure. After all, we are His children, right? Shouldn’t there be some perks to that status? But when I think about how He brought His Son, our Savior, into the world through an unknown teenage girl in a stable with animals looking on, I get a glimpse of how our Father cares for us. He doesn’t guarantee plush comfort, or that things will be easy, or that we will always be happy. What He does guarantee is that He loves us, He will be with us through everything we go through, and that our comfort is in our relationship with Him. He guarantees that He is working for our good. The proof is in His gift to us—Jesus. Jesus wasn’t wrapped in royal, silk blankets. He didn’t sleep in a soft, cozy basinet. He didn’t have elite status. His birth wasn’t announced throughout the town with embossed birth announcements. 

He came quietly that Christmas night, was born in a stable, wrapped in cloths, and laid in a manger. God’s most amazing gift to us arrived in a way that people might see as insignificant, yet it was so powerful. The next time you feel that you are insignificant to God, that your situation doesn’t rank high enough with Him, or that He hasn’t provided the way you had hoped; remember how He does things. He extends His love to us in the way He knows we need it. You are so significant to Him.

Happy Birthday, Jesus, and Merry Christmas!

Twelve days of Christmas

Photo of the Christmas tree at West Baden Hotel in West Baden, Indiana

Seasons greetings! Can you believe we’re almost two weeks into December? By now, most of you have your Christmas trees up and the house is fully decorated to celebrate Christmas. If not, you still have time for many festivities. 

This year, I decided to do my Christmas shopping early, so that I could enjoy no-rush, thoughtful gift-buying. While I was on call for the hospital in Paoli, Indiana, where I sometimes work, I spent some time thinking about what Christmas really means. For me, it’s simple but magnificent. It’s a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior into this world. His mission was to redeem us from our sins by taking sin to death. He didn’t have to leave heaven to become a human, but he did. He did it so that He could live among us, teach us, and show His great love for us. He gave Himself for us.

His gift to us is why we give to others. Our gifts show our love for others, the way His gift showed love for us. So, in this season that can become quite commercial, I wanted to do something that would show love to my loved ones or to those who need to be shown love. I decided to do some research on the twelve days of Christmas. Here’s what I found (on google):

The twelve days of Christmas mark the period between the birth of Jesus and the visit by the Magi (the three wise men). This period begins on December 25 and runs through January 6. The four week period that precedes Christmas is called Advent. There is an urban myth that the twelve days of Christmas actually represent Christian theology:

1st Day, Partridge in a pear tree…represents Jesus

2nd Day, Two turtle doves…the Old and New Testaments

3rd Day, Three French hens…the Holy Trinity

4th Day, Four calling birds…the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

5th Day, Five golden rings…the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible)

6th Day, Six geese a-laying…the first six days of Creation

7th Day, Seven swans a-swimming…the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

8th Day, Eight maids a-milking…the eight beatitudes

9th Day, Nine ladies dancing…the nine fruits of the Spirit

10th Day, Ten lords a-leaping…the Ten Commandments

11th Day, Eleven pipers piping…the eleven faithful disciples

12th Day, Twelve drummers drumming…the doctrines of the Apostles’ Creed

This may be a stretch, but I decided it might be a good way to tie in God’s love with gift-giving. Plus, it would be fun. I decided to give twelve days of small gifts to my loved ones, and I also chose a few others who I thought needed some extra love this year. It took some time to buy thoughtful gifts. For example, on Day 1, I bought a single special gift, like a coffee mug or an ornament. On Day 2, I bought a pair of socks or gloves and included two “Dove” brand chocolates. On Day 12, I bought a dozen of something for each person. I tried to make the day of the gift match the number of items enclosed.

Once I bought everything, I wrapped each gift and made tags to go with each gift for each day. The example below shows the tag for my daughter’s first day gift. I also enclosed an explanation of the gift-giving on the first day. Then each daily gift had an explanation of what that day represents (i.e., “The partridge in the pear tree represents Jesus.”)

You can imagine the time it took for me to do this, given the fact that I wrapped gifts for eight people. However, it was fun, and I was determined to serve others during this important season by giving gifts to show love. It helped me stay focused on others, and this act of loving others was a reminder of Jesus’ great love for us.

I think I’ll add this tradition to our Christmas season every year. I can’t wait to see the excitement in the faces of my loved ones as they open a gift every day. Mostly, I just want them to know how much they are loved. How do you celebrate this season, and what are some of your Christmas traditions?

Merry Christmas!

He cries with us

I awoke at 3:30 this morning with a migraine headache. I’ve been getting them for years, so this is nothing new for me. For those of you who get migraine headaches, you know that taking your medication at onset of the headache is the key to resolving it. After taking my medicine and drinking a cup of fresh coffee, I feel better. Having the lights of the Christmas tree to keep me company seems to help a little, too.

My husband is a nurse and is working in the pediatric ER tonight. I text him to let him know I’m awake, and I check to see how his shift is going. He texts me back to tell me that he has had a stressful shift. He has been caring for a month-old baby with meningitis. The thought of that makes me cringe. It’s so serious.  This little baby may not live through this. I utter a prayer for the sweet bundle and ask God for a miracle recovery for him. I think of his parents and what they must be going through.

This kind of scenario is nothing new for my husband or me, since we both work in medicine. I think about my last few shifts at the hospital. Not only two weeks ago, I did a consult on a lady who presented to the ER with two weeks of shortness of breath. During her work up, she was found to have metastatic cancer. Within a week, she passed away in the hospital.

I look over at the Christmas tree lights again. I imagine the sadness, heartache, and pain that so many people experience in this life. Sometimes it’s hard to see this season as one of joy; because even in this season, bad things happen, sad things happen, and heartbreaking moments still occur. It’s during these times that I have to remind myself that, despite any painful event in this life, we still have hope—in Jesus.

Jesus understands our sorrow.  He lived here on earth as a human for 33 years, and he felt the same emotions we feel. When Lazarus died, Jesus cried. John 11:35 says, “Jesus wept.” He wept because he was sad to see Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha grieving. Even though he knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead, he was moved by the pain that his friends were experiencing. It hurt him to see them hurting. He hurts when we hurt.

When Jesus was to be crucified, he felt intense sorrow as he spoke to his disciples. Matthew 26:38 says, “Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here with me and keep watch with me.’” Jesus knows what it feels like to be overwhelmed with sorrow. He is able to understand what we go through. He feels our pain, sorrow, heartache, and disappointment with us. Sometimes I imagine that He even cries with us.

Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” There is a life after this one. It’s one without pain, sorrow, heartache, disappointment, discouragement, or hopelessness. Through Jesus, God has promised us wholeness, joy, life, and victory.

So, as I sit here by the Christmas tree, awaiting the expected joy of the season, though not feeling it, I remember God’s promises through Jesus. I remember that this is just another season in this life. I remember that every season in heaven will bring joy. So I smile as I stare at the big red ornaments on the tree, knowing how much our Father cares for us.

Covenant

Today, I am covering labor and delivery call in Paoli, Indiana. While I was eating breakfast at a local restaurant, the hostess sat an elderly couple at a nearby table. The gentleman pulled out the chair for the lady, which made me smile. I don’t see that very often anymore. 

I overheard the server talking with them a couple minutes later. It turns out that today is their fifty-year anniversary. When I heard that, I couldn’t help but smile inside. It was sweet and inspiring. That couple has most likely weathered many storms and heartaches, as well as had many wonderful memories. It comforted my heart to know they’ve been together for so long, as I watched them smile at each other and converse easily. 

Their long commitment to each other reminded me of God’s covenant love for us. He is always with us and will never give up on us. He wants a relationship with you for eternity. Deuteronomy 14:2 says, “for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.”

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Preparing

Every year, we are bombarded with holiday shopping and sales that start the day after Halloween. I have to admit that I love the Christmas season, so I don’t mind seeing Christmas decorations early. I’m even guilty of putting my Christmas tree up right after Halloween. I love to have the Christmas cheer around me during Thanksgiving dinner.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the Christmas holiday season, so I try to take a moment this time of year to prepare my heart. I remind myself that although this is a festive, cozy time of year, it is also a time for giving. That are so many people in need throughout the year and especially at Christmas. Our giving doesn’t have to be monetary. Many people are in need of kindness, a smile, or a gesture of love. We can give much to others from our heart through acts of kindness. We can bake some cookies for a neighbor, offer to help a friend with an errand or problem, or pay for someone’s coffee one morning. Even small acts of kindness go a long way.

The great thing about being kind to someone else is that the reward of our giving is joy for us. Have a wonderful holiday season as we move toward Thanksgiving and into Christmas. Remember, “Jesus is the reason for the season!”

Dont’t throw in the towel

I’ve been reading a Bible devotional on my You Version Bible app. It’s called “Launch out into the deep!” By Lisa Singh. It gave me some needed encouragement, and I wanted to share it with you. Hopefully, it will give you some encouragement.

We all know that God wants us to live an abundant life. An abundant life comes from talking with God (prayer), seeking Him (reading the Bible), and following His commands (obeying His Word). I don’t know about you, but even when I think I’m doing all of those things, I can still become discouraged.

In Luke chapter five, Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesarat talking to the crowds of people surrounding Him. Jesus saw Simon Peter’s fishing boat and decided to get in it, thinking it might be easier to teach the people from the boat. Jesus asked Simon Peter and his crew to take the boat out a little from the shore. So Simon Peter got in the boat and took Jesus out from the shore. 

When Jesus was finished speaking to the people, he looked at Simon Peter and his crew and told them to take the boat out into the deep and “let down the nets for a catch (verse 4).” Simon Peter was a fisherman by trade with years of experience. I can see him shaking his head back-and-forth as he said something like, “Lord, with all due respect, we’ve been fishing all night and there is nothing to catch.” In fact, he and his crew were exhausted from fishing. But after he told Jesus that, he said, “Because you say so, I will let down the nets (verse 5).” According to verse 6, “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.”

This story reminds me of the saying in the above photo. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve become discouraged when I’m trying to live a life for God, or when I’m trying to be that good mom, or when I’m trying to be the loving wife, or when I’m trying to compassionately care for my patients, or when I’m trying to write a good story that tells of God’s love. So many times, I’ve wanted to throw in the towel. Life can be exhausting.

Discouragement affects all of us. The thing is, just when we are on the edge of quitting and want to give up, God speaks to us. He tells us, “No, don’t give up. I am with you, and good things will happen. Trust My timing.” Friend, don’t give up. God hears you and sees you. He understands your feelings of discouragement, your lack of confidence, and your feelings of inadequacy. He says, “Don’t give up. Keep trusting Me. I am helping you. You’re almost there.” Cast your nets out one more time.

Lavender Sky

Lavender Sky

By Denise Janette Bruneau

Now available at Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com

He loves you

I’m not sure about you, but my mood can change from day to day. I know I should be more even-keeled than that, but sometimes the events in this world affect my daily life. I can be feeling as if everything is good in the world, but then something as simple as catching some of the news...or seeing a big bill in the mail…or looking up at the towering pile of laundry to wash, can start my descent into a funk. 

Maybe you can relate to my minor moodiness, or maybe you’re going through a more serious trial…a divorce, the loss of a loved one, depression, or a betrayal. I just want to encourage you today by reminding you that God sees you, He understands you, and He loves you.

“See, I have engraved you on the palm of my hands.”  Isaiah 49:16a

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear him.” Psalm 103:11

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

He never changes

Although we are still having some warm weather, fall is officially here. It will only be a matter of days to a week before the weather cools and then becomes cold, as we prepare for the winter months. The seasons are predictable and we expect them, because God cycles them through each year.

For me, every new season is welcomed. Just as I can’t take the cold of winter any longer, God brings out the sunshine and warmth and bestows spring upon us. Then, just as the hot, humid summer days become almost intolerable, God drops the temperature, and graces us with the cool, crisp air of fall.

Unlike the seasons and everything else in this world, God never changes. He is always the same. His love for you never lessens. His care for you is steadfast. No matter what season of life you are going through today, remember how much God loves you. He wanted me to remind you of this today. He is with you, He wants you, and He loves you so much.

“Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8