It's a few days after Christmas. In that in-between time before the new year comes, I think it's typical to have that odd feeling that follows after a big event. Whether we feel relieved, or bummed about Christmas Day coming and going, I know that the holiday crash (combined with the weather/darkness at this time of year) can make one feel vulnerable to fear and depression. I know it's not just me; I've talked to plenty who are struggling too. Therefore, I felt it was important to post something and address the elephant in the room. Being honest and vulnerable helps create a safe place for others to share as well so we can lift each other up.
As I've mentioned previously, my word for this year has been "hope". I think I've had some good growth in this word. I've had to intentionally discipline myself into a new mindset; because hope isn't a feeling or an idea. Hope is a person: Jesus. When you rightly define "hope" as Christ Jesus, your perspective changes and it transforms your life. 
That's what I have most absorbed about Christmas in recent years. I am pretty "bah, humbug" about everything else. Christmas isn't just a "day" or a season either. Christmas IS Christ. Christmas IS hope. That hope is with us EVERY DAY in our hearts as believers because He is Immanuel; God with us.
That's what I have most absorbed about Christmas in recent years. I am pretty "bah, humbug" about everything else. Christmas isn't just a "day" or a season either. Christmas IS Christ. Christmas IS hope. That hope is with us EVERY DAY in our hearts as believers because He is Immanuel; God with us.
In Matthew 1:22-24 and Isaiah 7:14, we see that the Lord told us He would give us a sign; that the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and that He would be called Immanuel. When we hear that, or read it in the Word, it's easy to just hear and see words without really thinking about what they mean. But, when thinking of it recently, the word "sign" is what stood out to me. The word for sign in this verse is the Hebrew word, "oth" which means: "a signal (literally or figuratively), as a, flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc. -- mark, miracle, (en-)sign, token".
As far as signs go, I don't know what other sign could rival this kind of sign that is being talked about here! "Immaculate conception" is truly an understatement! It is LITERALLY impossible, but as Mary was told in Luke 1:37 NOTHING is impossible for the Lord! He is the ONLY ONE who can accomplish such a thing. That's the assurance that Mary had when she asked the angel, "How can this be?"
Undoubtedly, there are a lot of things that happen in life that make you wonder "why". There are things that take us by surprise; pleasant and unpleasant. Especially when it comes down to the hard things, the disappointing things, and the downright awful and unfair things, we wonder....."HOW can this BE?" In these seemingly impossible situations, we who are believers KNOW that what the Word says is true; that nothing is impossible for God. He proved it with this sign, our beacon of HOPE, that nothing is too hard for Him! Are our situations too hard for US? Yes, they often are. That is WHY we need HIM. We cannot do anything or overcome anything on our own strength. John 15:5 says that apart from Him, we can do nothing, but Philippians 4:13 says that we can do ALL THINGS....THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens us.
We also need other people to help us in times of need. Immanuel shows up in many different ways when we need Him; and that often comes through other people who share who He is in the form of love, compassion, and kindness. We too get opportunities every day to be Immanuel as well. Having one another keeps us going when we feel like we can't go on anymore and we want to give up.
I can think of no better example of this than in the audio book that I just finished. I often listen to Holocaust survivor stories to give me hope. I can't think of anything more terrible than the horrors of Nazi Germany. Hearing the testimonies of those who have survived, and HOW they survived, is so amazing to me. Every single testimony I’ve heard talks about the many different ways people risked their lives in order to help others continue to live; and sometimes that help even came from the most unlikeliest of places and people. I HIGHLY recommend that you read "The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor" by Eddie Jaku. It's only a couple hundred pages, but the way he conveys such important life lessons makes it something that I will likely read again (he also has a widely viewed TED talk that's worth watching as well). This particular part is what really stood out to me and made me cry more than any other portion:
I hope all of us can name at least ONE friend in our lives that will keep us from “going to the wire”; that “pulls us back from the edge” as the other phrase goes. We all have bad days, but we have a GOOD SAVIOR! We have a friend in Jesus; and in other friends in whose hearts He lives. May we continue to have friends, and BE the kind of friends, who can testify to the fact that Immanuel LIVES...that He’s WITH us and that we stand WITH each other through the good and bad times. As Hebrews 10:24-25 says: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (NIV)
I’m here to testify to the fact that yes, with God, all things are possible! He has done impossible things in my life and has worked things things out for His good purpose in my life (Romans 8:28). Like Eddie, I owe it to my family and friends to keep going. More than anything, though, I owe it to Jesus to honor Him with my life. If I'm still here, it is because He needs me to be here. I cannot and will not give up for any reason because as Eddie also says in his book, "where there is life, there is hope." Put Jesus in that sentence, "where there is life, there is Jesus"...and where there is Jesus, there is LIFE. Because Christ lives in me, HOPE lives in me.
There is absolutely no reason for me to ever give up; no matter how I feel or how bad things seem. Even as I sit here writing this, I'm very aware of the fact that I'm feeling better than the day I first listened to that part of the book. I was having a stressful day. My body was giving out due to sickness and weariness (on top of my daily pains in my body that never stop due to arthritis, degeneration, fibromyalgia, etc.), and I just didn't want to keep pushing myself. My feelings change constantly and so do my circumstances. Satan would love nothing more than to take advantage of a weak moment in a difficult day to put an end to everything good that God wants to do. The Lord doesn't waste our pain. He has a plan for everything you are persevering through right now; Eddie Jaku is proof of that and so are the countless Biblical heroes of the Bible (including the greatest conqueror of all time: Jesus Christ). Also, right after that hard day, Earl showed up at my office with another beautiful present for me that had belonged to his dearly departed wife. His gift of love, hugs, prayers, and thoughtfulness lifted me up so much! I put it on right away; which amazingly complimented the dress that I was wearing. My plain red dress never looked so good and I felt like Cleopatra or something lol. I wore it proudly that whole day and into the evening for the "Light of Life" service that night. I had the honor of sharing a portion of what I'm now sharing with you in this blog. Hope breeds more hope if we cooperate with what God wants to do.
As far as signs go, I don't know what other sign could rival this kind of sign that is being talked about here! "Immaculate conception" is truly an understatement! It is LITERALLY impossible, but as Mary was told in Luke 1:37 NOTHING is impossible for the Lord! He is the ONLY ONE who can accomplish such a thing. That's the assurance that Mary had when she asked the angel, "How can this be?"
Undoubtedly, there are a lot of things that happen in life that make you wonder "why". There are things that take us by surprise; pleasant and unpleasant. Especially when it comes down to the hard things, the disappointing things, and the downright awful and unfair things, we wonder....."HOW can this BE?" In these seemingly impossible situations, we who are believers KNOW that what the Word says is true; that nothing is impossible for God. He proved it with this sign, our beacon of HOPE, that nothing is too hard for Him! Are our situations too hard for US? Yes, they often are. That is WHY we need HIM. We cannot do anything or overcome anything on our own strength. John 15:5 says that apart from Him, we can do nothing, but Philippians 4:13 says that we can do ALL THINGS....THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens us.
We also need other people to help us in times of need. Immanuel shows up in many different ways when we need Him; and that often comes through other people who share who He is in the form of love, compassion, and kindness. We too get opportunities every day to be Immanuel as well. Having one another keeps us going when we feel like we can't go on anymore and we want to give up.
I can think of no better example of this than in the audio book that I just finished. I often listen to Holocaust survivor stories to give me hope. I can't think of anything more terrible than the horrors of Nazi Germany. Hearing the testimonies of those who have survived, and HOW they survived, is so amazing to me. Every single testimony I’ve heard talks about the many different ways people risked their lives in order to help others continue to live; and sometimes that help even came from the most unlikeliest of places and people. I HIGHLY recommend that you read "The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor" by Eddie Jaku. It's only a couple hundred pages, but the way he conveys such important life lessons makes it something that I will likely read again (he also has a widely viewed TED talk that's worth watching as well). This particular part is what really stood out to me and made me cry more than any other portion:
I can tell you that I would not be here today without Kurt. Thanks to my friend, I survived. We looked after each other. When one of us was injured or too sick to work, the other would find food and help the other. We kept each other alive. The average survival time of a prisoner in Auschwitz was seven months. Without Kurt, I wouldn’t have made it half that far. When I had a sore throat, he cut his scarf in half and gave me one so I could recover. People saw us wearing the same scarf and assumed we were brothers; we were that close.Eddie is very much right. In fact, on the day I had listened to that part, I had just had the kind of day where I felt like “running to the wire”. I can’t tell you how many times I have wanted to give up in life…. and even ON my life. In fact, many years ago, I was listening to my friend Shane talk about how he lost his brother to suicide. If ever there was a more heartbreaking “how could this be”, it’s when something like that happens. He couldn’t help but wonder about all the “whys” and felt like it was all a waste and nothing good could come from it. I made him a promise right there; that the one good thing to come from his brother’s life would be that I would live mine…which is exactly the kind of thing Eddie Jaku was talking about. There would be no “waste” because I would keep my word to my friend and go on living no matter how hard or dark it seemed. Sometimes, that promise was the last thread on the end of my rope that kept me from “going to the wire”. I would remind myself, “I promised Shane” and have told him over the years about how many times he and his brother had continued to save my life.
Each morning, we would wake up and, before work, we would walk around the blocks and talk, to keep our spirits up. We would hide little presents for each other behind a brick I had carved out in the toilet wall –soap, toothpaste, pieces of rags.
These moments of friendship and gratitude were necessary in order to survive that inhumane place Hitler had created. Many people chose to take their own lives rather than go on. It was so common there was even a phrase to describe it: go to the wire. AuschwitzII-Birkenau, a subcamp of the much larger Auschwitz camp complex, was surrounded by an electrified barbed-wire fence. To touch this fence was certain death and so, to end their lives without giving the Nazis the satisfaction of killing them, people would run to the wire and grab it. I lost two good friends this way. They went, naked, holding hands, to the wire. I do not blame them. Certainly, there were many days I would have preferred to be dead.
We were cold, we were sick. Many times, I said to Kurt, ‘Let’s go. What is the point of living, only to suffer tomorrow?’
Kurt refused. He would not let me go to the wire.
This is the most important thing I have ever learned: the greatest thing you will ever do is be loved by another person.
I cannot emphasize this enough, especially to young people. Without friendship, a human being is lost. A friend is someone who reminds you to feel alive.
Auschwitz was a living nightmare, a place of unimaginable horrors. But I survived because I owed it to my friend Kurt to survive, to live another day so that I might see him again. Having even just one good friend means that the world takes on new meaning. One good friend can be your entire world.
This, more than the food we shared or the warm clothes or the medicine, was the most important thing. The best balm for the soul is friendship. And with that friendship, we could do the impossible.
I’m here to testify to the fact that yes, with God, all things are possible! He has done impossible things in my life and has worked things things out for His good purpose in my life (Romans 8:28). Like Eddie, I owe it to my family and friends to keep going. More than anything, though, I owe it to Jesus to honor Him with my life. If I'm still here, it is because He needs me to be here. I cannot and will not give up for any reason because as Eddie also says in his book, "where there is life, there is hope." Put Jesus in that sentence, "where there is life, there is Jesus"...and where there is Jesus, there is LIFE. Because Christ lives in me, HOPE lives in me.
Grace and peace to you, my friends! Surround yourself with good friends who will never let you "go to the wire"; and for whom you would also do the same. Find yourself a Kurt, Shane, or Earl. Don't go through life alone! Find a good counselor too. I got one of those; plus some good spiritual sisters and mamas that speak life into me when I need it. I also work hard to be that same kind of person for others and I check in on people whenever God brings them to mind. Have Hope. Be Hope. Share Hope! Immanuel lives in us! If you haven't asked Him to live in your heart, invite Him in TODAY (Romans 10:9-10). Confess and repent of your sins, and be born again; filled with HOPE and eternal life! Amen!
