It’s the Sunday before Christmas here in the nation’s capital and we are blanketed with the results of a rare and beautiful foot-plus snowfall. It was, well, magical. I have to convey how much I was looking forward to this blizzard. My windows and enclosed balcony look out on none other than 395 (which, for those not from this area, is the 8 lane freeway that starts in DC and travels south). There are several drawbacks to this. First, the exhaust from the cars is so heavy and constant I cannot open my windows without layering my curtains and my lungs with an oily, black soot. The other, and most tedious, it is never, ever quiet. Never. The parade of cars, trucks, emergency vehicles (and their sirens) and, my favorite, motorcycles, is relentless. Ahh, but when the snow falls in foot high layers, traffic momentarily stops. And for almost 24 hours all that broke the silence was the chainy clank and scrape of the snowplows.
Oh I had big plans for this surreal span of time. First and foremost, quality time with God. Blogging, journaling, praying; then listening to a recording of The Messiah whilst wrapping presents and cleaning the fish tank -- all the while talking and spending time with my best friend! I was giddy at the prospect.
And then came the phone call relaying some very upsetting news. A co-worker had succumbed to swine flu and passed away early that morning; this news made even more distressing by the fact that most of us had found out only the day before that she was sick. This sudden intrusion of the ugly pain of life was all it took to blow my ship Titanic off its course, straight into a colossal iceberg. Instead of turning to God for comfort and understanding, I turned to the addiction serving as the equivalent of hiding in a cave; I turned on the tv. For the next 16 hours (6 am this morning to be exact), I sat and stared mindlessly, chewing on one show after another. So immersed was I in the escape that this gaze did not break even for food or water until late Saturday night. As you can imagine, this morning (after 4 hours of restless sleep) brought with it depression, wistful regret and Oscar worthy self-flagellation; repeating over and over, “I wasted the gift!” and “What is wrong with me?” The collision had pitched me overboard and I was going under.
A gentle but steady prompt from God encouraged my drowning self to go online for internet church. (God bless McLean Bible Church for offering this lifeline!) As strains of beautifully played Christmas music wafted through the speakers, I felt my weary, sin-ravaged heart grab hold. Jesus serenading my listening ears with his declaration of love and promise to save me from myself.
God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.
Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's power, when we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy!!!
Hymns full of joy and hope, peace and mercy. God’s plan of redemption, restoration and healing piercing the veil of defeat and human imperfection. The news of Jesus’ wonderful birth recounted to my starving soul. Glory to God who sent His perfect son to pluck us from the freezing cold waters of self-judgment and despair and set us on the deck of his heaven-bound vessel. Dear hearts God has removed failure and hopelessness from our repertoire!
Merry Christmas to all and prayers of love and thanksgiving as we voyage on in victory!
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
Oh I had big plans for this surreal span of time. First and foremost, quality time with God. Blogging, journaling, praying; then listening to a recording of The Messiah whilst wrapping presents and cleaning the fish tank -- all the while talking and spending time with my best friend! I was giddy at the prospect.
And then came the phone call relaying some very upsetting news. A co-worker had succumbed to swine flu and passed away early that morning; this news made even more distressing by the fact that most of us had found out only the day before that she was sick. This sudden intrusion of the ugly pain of life was all it took to blow my ship Titanic off its course, straight into a colossal iceberg. Instead of turning to God for comfort and understanding, I turned to the addiction serving as the equivalent of hiding in a cave; I turned on the tv. For the next 16 hours (6 am this morning to be exact), I sat and stared mindlessly, chewing on one show after another. So immersed was I in the escape that this gaze did not break even for food or water until late Saturday night. As you can imagine, this morning (after 4 hours of restless sleep) brought with it depression, wistful regret and Oscar worthy self-flagellation; repeating over and over, “I wasted the gift!” and “What is wrong with me?” The collision had pitched me overboard and I was going under.
A gentle but steady prompt from God encouraged my drowning self to go online for internet church. (God bless McLean Bible Church for offering this lifeline!) As strains of beautifully played Christmas music wafted through the speakers, I felt my weary, sin-ravaged heart grab hold. Jesus serenading my listening ears with his declaration of love and promise to save me from myself.
God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.
Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's power, when we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy!!!
Hymns full of joy and hope, peace and mercy. God’s plan of redemption, restoration and healing piercing the veil of defeat and human imperfection. The news of Jesus’ wonderful birth recounted to my starving soul. Glory to God who sent His perfect son to pluck us from the freezing cold waters of self-judgment and despair and set us on the deck of his heaven-bound vessel. Dear hearts God has removed failure and hopelessness from our repertoire!
Merry Christmas to all and prayers of love and thanksgiving as we voyage on in victory!
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
