Through the first advent of Christ God revealed the paradox of redemption; He brings life out of death; joy out of sorrow; and purpose out of our pain. If the founder of our salvation was made perfect through His suffering, then we too will be made perfect and complete through our suffering. I’m so thankful to live on this side of the cross where these truths have been made known. We are the most privileged among the saints - to live between the two Advents - where the mysterious workings of our salvation have been revealed. 

I have always loved everything about Christmastime. My heart leaps with joy when the first decorations emerge, and I feel a sigh of relief as the heat of summer recedes into the gray chill of winter. I absolutely cherish our long established family traditions of baking Christmas cookies, driving downtown to look at all the lights, and decorating our tree to the same Christmas music every year. My heart swells with joy and gratitude as I get to add another year to my collection of treasured Christmas memories. Yet this year something feels different. As I inventoried my emotions, I realized that the joy I always feel this time of year was still present and accounted for, but it has brought with it an unexpected companion. This year my Christmas joy is accompanied by grief.

The familiar comfort I once found in tradition has been replaced by change. My kids are all grown and out of the house, and the ways I used to celebrate the season have been stripped away by physical disability. In the last month my twenty year battle with chronic illness has taken on a whole new level of limitation. I have lost the ability to walk, drive, and stand for long periods of time. This new challenge has made it incredibly difficult to participate in the season’s festivities. I cannot go anywhere that is not wheelchair accessible - and while I don’t want to miss out, I also dread going. My condition makes the unpredictability of unfamiliar environments extremely daunting. As I give myself space to process these changes, I feel gratitude for all the years the Lord held back the effects of this disease, but I also feel a deep sense of sadness as I watch my cherished traditions fade into the distance. 

Loss has a way of putting things in perspective. Now that I have lost my able body, the one thing I thought I needed and couldn’t do life without, I am realizing the error of my thinking. Somehow, in the face of what I thought would be one of the most devastating moments of my life, I am completely okay. In the middle of my sadness I have a deep sense of peace and calm, at the core of my grief I also have genuine joy. Isn’t that the true gift of Christmas? That in the middle of our sin, humanity, and brokenness - we can have hope? Because of Jesus, we know that our suffering is not the end of our story. Through the first advent of Christ God revealed the paradox of redemption; He brings life out of death; joy out of sorrow; and purpose out of our pain. If the founder of our salvation was made perfect through His suffering, then we too will be made perfect and complete through our suffering. I’m so thankful to live on this side of the cross where these truths have been made known. We are the most privileged among the saints - to live between the two Advents - where the mysterious workings of our salvation have been revealed. 

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the spirit of Christ in them was indicating when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” - 1 Peter 1:10-12

This knowledge is the true gift of Christmas! That we can live with peace, joy, and hope in spite of our circumstances. Living by faith doesn’t mean we believe God will always take away our pain, or heal our diseases, or repair our relationships - it means that even if He doesn’t we trust His hand of sovereignty and goodness in every circumstance, knowing that He will redeem it all.

“In this you rejoice, though now  for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” - 1 Peter 1:6-9

Because of Christmas we have a hope and a confidence that is unlike anything the world has to offer. As we live with a heart that receives His first coming and anticipates His return, we can live between the two Advents with joy that is inexpressible, peace that surpasses understanding, and a hope that does not disappoint. This is our testimony to the weary world around us. May we all shine our light brightly this Christmas and rejoice with hope between the two Advents.