Repeat the Sounding Joy!

Life brings many changes.  Some are happy and yearned for while others are unwanted and have to be worked through.  Christmas seems to make changes more keenly felt. Even though external circumstances around us change;  loved ones pass on, babies are born, people are added to our families, people may be shipped to foreign bases or move to different locations for their jobs; our joy is the same as we recognize the significance of Christmas. We may not always rejoice in the things life is handing us at the moment, but as humans we have an amazing resiliency to harbor hope, and as believers that hope takes a step forward into joy as we realize we have the hope of eternity. Regardless of what age I am, I still delight in the Christmas tree, can hardly bear to see wrapped presents and not know what is inside of them, hang my stocking in the hope that a magical benefactor will fill it with all kinds of good things and can barely get any sleep on Christmas Eve! This year I get to have all my children home for Christmas.  I can barely maintain my excitement in having the people I love the most all under the same roof. Change will come to us as surely as we live on this planet. Sometimes our axis is tilted a bit and things seem to swing out of kilter. How fortunate is the person who has someone who loves them enough to get them back on track. One of the best aspects of Christmas is getting together with people you love who will ground you, who have shared in your life history and who genuinely care about you.  Our home will be full of that this Christmas, and my wish for you is that you may also experience this .  I wish for you a Merry Christmas, so full that, despite any changes that may come, your heart and life can repeat the sounding joy.