I spend a lot more time looking out our front window to the forest preserve across the street. Although the trees are barren, the season of winter provides the opportunity to see beautiful sunsets to the west that are masked by foliage in warmer seasons. Although the days are shorter, the wee hours of the morning as I sit with a warm beverage, a herd of deer graze as cars whiz by, unaware of the beauty a few feet away. I’m grateful God’s plan included knocking me off life’s crazy train to breathe in moments like this. It is good to be still; to simply be. Though uncertainty and bewilderment with the world can easily be found again, to feel content no matter the circumstances truly is a gift.

The holidays are a beautiful cadence moving through a season of gratitude to that of joy and love before we open the door to a new year of possibilities. You’ve known me to appreciate pondering; this year is no different. I was struck by a revelation new to my mind and it brought a richer peace than I’ve known. Perhaps it will be a reminder to some, new to others, or a completely radical concept to others as it was to me. Jesus was born to truly FEEL the emotions of humankind, something Divinity cannot.

I’ve known the presence of my Creator in the absence of an earthly father yet appreciate this isn’t the case for some. How do you believe in something you cannot see? And if he knows our suffering, why doesn’t he make the hurt dissipate? These are good questions that cannot be answered in a simple post. Have faith and keep following along. I’ve experienced a significant writers block this year [again] yet wanted to put this message up. I’m hopeful to keep writing again now that a season of pondering and discovery has brought deeper insight.

This thought of Jesus coming as a baby to feel human emotion has been prominent on my mind. If anyone reading this has experienced moments that have brought difficult contemplations, I’m hopeful there is a glimmer of hope in these words. It can feel safe to isolate rather than be vulnerable in the world. In the darkest of times, know you were created for a purpose and all details were not only known before your existence, every emotion was felt through the divine nature of God embodied in Jesus.

He is available as a comfort to the most dismal of circumstances. He longs for our joy but, in the midst of trials, we are assured we are not walking alone. I’m hopeful each one reading this has a safe place to feel known and loved. If you’re struggling, please know we are here to walk through life with you and will wait by your side until you’re able to take a step forward. Psalm 40:1-3 is a favorite scripture:

I waited a long time for the Eternal;
    He finally knelt down to hear me.
    He listened to my weak and whispered cry.
He reached down and drew me
    from the deep, dark hole where I was stranded, mired in the muck and clay.
    With a gentle hand, He pulled me out
To set me down safely on a warm rock;
    He held me until I was steady enough to continue the journey again.
As if that were not enough,
    because of Him my mind is clearing up.
Now I have a new song to sing—
    a song of praise to the One who saved me.
Because of what He’s done, many people will see
    and come to trust in the Eternal.

A weary world can rejoice because we have the gift of Emmanuel, God with us. His Spirit in embodied in each person willing to accept Him. The mystery of authentic faith cannot be revealed with a cynical heart. Many of us come to the end of ourselves (our pride and self focus) before we truly feel the presence of our savior; afterward, we are not the same. I pray you can approach a New Year with hope and comfort because you are known.

I have told you these things so that you will be whole and at peace. In this world, you will be plagued with times of trouble, but you need not fear; I have triumphed over this corrupt world order. John 16:33

So we have no reason to despair. Despite the fact that our outer humanity is falling apart and decaying, our inner humanity is breathing in new life every day. You see, the short-lived pains of this life are creating for us an eternal glory that does not compare to anything we know here. So we do not set our sights on the things we can see with our eyes. All of that is fleeting; it will eventually fade away. Instead, we focus on the things we cannot see, which live on and on. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18