Crumbs of Comfort

I went to hear the Austin Symphony's performance of Handel's Messiah this week and the message was never so inspiring! Here are a few of the highlights:

For unto us a child is born.

It suddenly struck me that unto me a child is born! I always wanted to have my own children, but find myself without any. Then I realized, this Christmas babe is my Christ-child, too-- born to me not just annually, but every day, moment by moment, for me to cherish and love and care for. It made me consider, how well do we love our own Wonderful, Christ-child within? Do we tenderly care, nurture and feed our babe with patience, protecting our innocence as we would a small child? What does this babe look like in our lives? Perhaps it has the face of our creativity, our hope, our faith, our love? Or, even that sweet face that's looking back at you in the mirror!

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.

If you've ever tried online dating, then you KNOW what it is to be rejected by men! I had to laugh as a friend and I were just discussing how difficult it can be to be alone during the holidays and the fruitlessness of the current dating scene. How comforting it is to see that even the Master was rejected by men...not quite in the same way, but you get the idea. We've all known our own grief or disappointments. The Son of God has been there and back again before us, working and praying to show us the kingdom of happiness within. How nice it's been to turn my thought into giving unconditional love this season...no matter if my attentions are returned or not! And the fruits have been so inspiring since then!

Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make straight in the desert a highway for our God!

What's highway are we preparing for this next year? Is it the road to better health, the road to a new job, the road to selling more paintings, the road to love? Whatever your road is, let's remember to get on the fast track to fulfillment and get on God's highway--it's sure to lead to blessings everywhere we need it to!