Christmas, 2001
“O, Come all Ye Faithful, Joyful, and Triumphant
O Come Ye, O Come Ye to Bethlehem,
Come and Adore Him, born the King of Angels…”
Dear Friends and Family—
Hello! I’m at school today, where, I suppose, I’m expected to have my mind on my work. Instead, I’m thinking of you.
You see, we just finished our weekly chapel. It’s on Wednesdays—every Wednesday from 8:45-9:30 at Traders Point Christian Academy. I’m in my 3rd year of teaching there, working with learning disabled students 3 days a week. Today was like every other, I suppose—we filed in the chapel and prepared the kids for worship and hearing the Word. Admittedly, my mind was full, thinking of all the things I had to do today—I was busy. I almost missed the beauty around me. I almost didn’t see it at all.
The kids were singing Christmas songs at the top of their lungs. “O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL”…”GLORY TO THE NEWBORN KING”…They had a joy that would have inspired them to run outside and make angels in the snow (that is, if we had any snow)! I could tell some of the children, while looking out the windows, could imagine the snow. They were probably wondering why it was invisible to adults. J
The children are busy, too. One child was worried about something he lost yesterday and another was “stressed” about show-and-tell later this afternoon. They have math timed tests to take and recess games to win. But yet, they took time to sing songs—worship songs. On a Wednesday. With not a Christmas present in sight. The kids’ joy told me they really understood the words they were singing…born the King of Angels—do they know what that means? It seemed, with all their smiles, they did know. That’s when I thought of you and I—the adults. Do we “get it”? Do we know what we are singing about?
OH, COME: The song reminds us, all of us, to come to Jesus. I’ve learned so much this year about taking time to worship, even in places like the car, in line at the post office, overseas in the Ukraine this summer—anywhere is a good place to be in His presence. Grace Community Church in Noblesville has become a home for me, in many ways. I’m challenged there to remember that life is to be lived in community; that when Jesus calls His people we should answer Him together, as a unit. Many times, I’m tempted to believe the lie that my life belongs to me. When we come to Him, we remember that God has a plan for us, He will take care of us, and our lives can be full of His blessings rather than our busyness.
ALL YE FAITHFUL: This song calls Christians faithful people. What, or who, brings out faithfulness in you? I’m still earning my Master’s Degree in School Counseling at Butler University in Indianapolis (the key word here is still). I graduate in May, so I’m filling out job applications and praying about the best place to use my counseling training. My passion for students has intensified in the past year as I’ve worked in the counseling offices of area schools. If only I had room in my apartment to take some of these kids home; it’s difficult to work with them for a little while and send them home, knowing what they experience there. My job with learning disabled kids has given me real day-to-day experience as a child advocate, something every counselor needs! I’ve learned this year that faithfulness is obedience with a heart. When the alarm goes off in the morning, we’re called to obey, to get up, and to go to our workplaces. But faithfulness is getting up, going, and remembering that work is a divine appointment, a place to put feet on our passions for the work of God in the world.
ALL YE JOYFUL: Come, all ye joyful…When was the last time you were truly full of joy? Go ahead. Think back. To this morning, last month, maybe even last year. I absolutely love this fact: God’s plan for each of us will include assigning us tasks that give us joy. What you most like to do, God will most likely ask you to do. This is because your joy is part of what gives God glory. Isn’t that powerful? I’ve realized this year that I’ve spent some wasted “joy-less” time choosing to do things that don’t give God the honor He deserves. So, I’m changing. I simply want more joy. I want my mind to be full of reminders of who God is, not full of worry. So, I’m signing up for less things, in order to give more to some things. I’m spending more time with people who encourage. I’m writing more. I’m learning to be gentle, rather than hard, on myself. These choices have made my time with God fuller, more enjoyable. That’s what He wants!
ALL YE TRIUMPHANT: O come all ye triumphant…I don’t think I’ve ever really thought about these words in this song. Triumphant, here, refers to us, not to God. That’s hard for me to grasp, because it’s not a word I would use to describe myself, most of the time. We are called to be the servants of God in the world, sounding His trumpet and telling His truth. We might be asking ourselves, are triumph or praise possible in a world of terrorism? Sometimes, lately, it feels like it will always be Sept. 11, 2001—like the clock has stopped somehow. In a sense, until Jesus comes back, that’s true. But God has always known that real love is experienced when it’s chosen, not forced. We are not robots. He’s given us choice—the freedom to love Him, or not.
It’s true. We live in a world where we can choose to turn away from the goodness of God. We can choose to stand in the rubble of New York City and believe that’s all there is to life—disappointment, destruction, fear. But there is another choice. We can come to Jesus, knowing Who He Is, and stand triumphant because we know this is not our home. Jesus came to us to bring us back to Him. He was born in the midst of our fallen world, in the “rubble” of a stable. He was born for you, that you might live in triumph! Are you doing that? He died on a mountain with His arms outstretched…think about that, the hope of that for you. I think a mountain was a chosen way of saying, “Come up here, my children. It’s time for you to come up from the low country, from your despair, from your pits of rubble, and start living. For my Spirit is here for you now, and we will live together in heaven on the highest mountains of all!”
I saw Sound of Music recently and I love that first scene—Julie Andrews singing, high on a mountain, at the top of her lungs. It’s a mental picture for me of triumphant dependence of God, acknowledging that He is our rest and our joy. When I pray, I try to picture myself on a mountain, “Lord, I want it all. I want all your plans for me, all your best for my life. I open wide my arms and my spirit soars with your joy. I can’t help but sing to you, for “Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?” Psalm 71:19
COME AND ADORE HIM, BORN THE KING OF ANGELS: I hope, this Christmas, the beauty of Who God Is doesn’t pass you by. I love all of you and I thank you for the many ways you challenge me to love God with more of my heart. I don’t know what is ahead of me. None of us knows what 2002 holds for us. We can’t even predict what will happen 5 minutes from now. But we can rest. We can live faithfully, joyfully, triumphant. After all, the King of Angels is charge and only the best is ahead of us. When the snow does come to Indiana, I’ve decided to make as many snow angels as humanly possible. I am a child of God, but I’ve also decided to be a teacher with a child’s heart. One of my new year’s resolutions is to never lose sight of the wonder of life—to consciously live in the spirit of joy God gives.
Thankful for each of you,
Summer