Today as I made the drive from Oklahoma to Texas, I suddenly remembered that on this day two years ago, December 23, 2005, I also made the trip from OKC to T-town. Circumstances were much different then.
I was weak and fragile, having at that point endured six months of illness, two months in the hospital, and a major surgery. I weighed about eighty five pounds and didn’t have an ounce of fat on me, and could only walk a few steps. But I was alive. That trip home didn’t mark the end of my battle with my health; in many ways, the worst was still ahead.
But in this season to remember Emmanuel, God with us, I found it very poignant to think about how far God has brought me in two short years, in health, maturity, experience, and spirit. I have learned that there is a strength in me I never imagined-- not so much in my own spirit but in the Spirit of God within me.
This is the season to celebrate incarnation—God with us. One Christmas song that’s been on my mind lately repeats this chorus:
For the God who spoke is speaking still
And the God who came still comes
And the miracle that happened still happens in the heart that will believe
And receive the miracle of Christmas
The miracle of Christmas is that we have a God who joins us in life. The God who brought me through my illness two years ago is the same God and same strength that empowers me to live each day guided by His Spirit. God is with us.
May God bless you with fresh eyes to see and experience Him with you.
