Christmas Time

Christmas Time…

 

Time is a blessing and a curse, a construct clothed in mystery…

Its gear is forward, no reverse, a skeleton for history.

And history is our story, whether whispered or out loud;

It journals much that shames us and much that makes us proud.

The year is nearly ended, its lifespan on the wane,

We write the cards and deck the halls as Christmas comes again.

And, too, that old, old story….whose spell our spirits bind,

Comes winging through the ages engaging heart and mind.

How humble was that woman, a child more like in years,

Who heard an angel’s message in a whirl of awe and tears.

How humble gentle Joseph, a carpenter by trade,

Who met an angel of his own, and its advice obeyed.

From Nazareth to Bethlehem, they walked by King’s decree,

To be counted for a census, and taxed unmercifully.

And there, in throngs of people, too many for the town,

The carpenter led his pregnant wife….in hay he laid her down.

Amid the lowing animals, sweet Mary did give birth

To a helpless, little baby who would one day rule the earth.

A star shone in that long ago, that led gift-laden Kings:

Within the Christmas story its mystery still rings.

A chapter in God’s story and in our story, too:

How human is their history, how poignant and how true.

The human heart is hungry for a tale beyond our own:

The promise of a loving power within the vast unknown.

So Christmas comes with angel song and shepherds in a field.

They sang God’s birth announcement and those simple men believed.

We know we are not perfect, unsuited for the sky,

Yet we were sent a gift of Love to help our spirits fly.

So, mid the chaos of our time, the hoop-la of the season,

Take time to ponder, “Why all this?” And, Love will be the reason:

Mary’s love for God above, and Joseph’s love for Mary;

The Christ child’s love for humankind, a burden gladly carried.

He came to save us from ourselves, our earth-bound lives to lift.

He came as unconditional Love, our perfect, priceless Christmas gift.

Wishing you a Peace-filled Christmas and New Year

Love, Lida and Dick

2017

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