He Still Comes
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“And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…” Luke 1:35
She sat in a chair all by herself in the corner of the room looking peaceful. I approached her and spoke her name. She looked up and smiled. I was familiar to her though she did not know my name or our relationship. I had come to visit with her and brought her chocolate chip cookies. She took the two cookies eagerly and slowly ate both of them with such enthusiasm. We listened to Christmas carols on my phone and sang along – “Away In A Manger,” “Silent Night,” and then “Go, Tell It On The Mountain.”
I played Josh Turner’s version of “Go, Tell It on The Mountain” and the words of the chorus are -“Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere, Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.” As these words were sung, the Holy Spirit came upon her, and she began to cry tears of joy. She spoke through her tears, “Those words are so beautiful. I feel the Lord all around me.” It was evident that the Holy Spirit came upon this dear soul whose mind was ravaged by dementia. She still knew Jesus and her heart was full of His love. At that moment, Christmas came for me. We prayed and her faith flowed from her tears. I felt the Spirit as I held her hand. I experienced Christmas – God with us. Jesus came.
I walked into Sharon’s room. She was sitting alone in her room, lost in her thoughts watching mindless TV. Her face lit up as she recognized me. “Oh, Elaine, it is so good to see you.” Her joy came in our conversation. She was so grateful I came. It was God who nudged me to visit. To take the time and listen to who God was putting on my path today. As we prayed together, I experienced Christmas – Jesus came again.
Each visit that day was filled with purpose and meaning. God gave me a plan for the day to bring hope and joy to others and in return God came to me reminding me what this season of Christmas is all about. It is God breaking into our world and being with us. God breaks through even in the traditions of the Christmas season.
I watched the Christmas parade in my hometown. It felt like a Hallmark evening with the town filled with people and excited children. The children were expecting lots of candy to be thrown on the parade route and Santa to close out the parade. There were bands, floats, trucks, singers, a Christmas Vacation float with the station wagon and tree, and the Grinch. One float from a local church shared the true meaning of Christmas through the Nativity scene with a lighted cross and church in the background. I experienced the joy of Christmas through all of the magic of the parade. But I knew the Spirit had come upon the parade when those announcing each exhibit in the parade stated when the Church’s Nativity float passed by – “Jesus is the reason for this season.” They were not ashamed to publicly declare Christmas is about Jesus. Jesus came again.
Christmas is not just a day or a season. Yes, there are many traditions that we only experience in the Christmas season like Christmas parades, Christmas lights, presents, and the nativity. Christmas is so much more, but when we believe it is just a day or season, then when it is over there is a sadness and unfulfillment. We prepared and now it is completed, and we have not experienced the Spirit coming and filling us with a sense of joy and wonder. Sometimes we spend so much time buying, wrapping gifts, decorating, making the meal for that one day. The family comes, eats the meal, unwraps the gifts and spends a few hours. Then it is over. All that work for a few hours. Your focus was on the task of preparing, but what are you preparing for?
When loss enters the Christmas season, the emptiness is already there even before beginning any preparations. You are preparing to be sad and feel the loneliness of the day without your loved one. Christmas needs to be more than a day. Christmas comes every day we allow Jesus to come anew into our hearts. Every time we are touched by a song like “Go, tell it on a Mountain.” Every time we listen to God and make the visit, the phone call, bake the cookies, give a hug, say a prayer.
God still comes. God’s Spirit will come upon us even in our sadness and emptiness. God comes in our loneliness and unfulfillment to overshadow the darkness and give us the light of life. God still comes to bring hope to the hopelessness of this world. God still comes even when we do not feel like celebrating. God still comes to be with us. Allow God to come in your brokenness, heartache, and sadness. God comes just to be with us.
Great Gifts For Christmas
My Books on Amazon
Live Different Moments
Living In The Different
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/
Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/
