Well, the Lord has done it again. We have found a solution to our car woes with Brien and are in the process of putting that challenge behind us, hopefully! We found a good car in our price range, our friends who run the auto salvage place are buying the old car for scrap and will dispose of it for us and we'll have Brien back on the road in his own vehicle by the New Year. We are taking a big leap of faith and putting all of our savings into the venture, but we know we are doing the right thing and giving our boys the example of what it means to face trials as a family. It's been so amazing how things have fallen into place. The bigger the challenge, the more heartfelt the prayers and faith, the bigger the miracle. We have so much to be grateful for this Christmas.
I have been trying these past few days to fully trust and not fret and cultivate an attitude of gratitude in all things. I have been shown hundreds of times these past few weeks that I do matter to the Lord. That He hears and answers my prayers. That He wants to be a part of my life and teach me and guide me. I have been so humbled and so regretful of the times that I have not sought out His guidance and comfort during past challenges. For so much of my life I have felt unworthy to even ask anything of Him. I have learned something important these past few weeks. We don't need to be perfect before we go to Him and ask for help. It doesn't matter how big or how small the problem is, He does want to know.
I know that there are still so many challenges ahead in the New Year, too many to count and it makes my head hurt thinking about them. But my testimony has been strengthened and my resolve has been set that 2013 is going to be a different kind of year. It's going to be hard, particularly these next few months, but with the Lords help, we'll get through whatever comes our way.
These next few days are an opportunity to reflect on the why of Christmas. As I said before Love is the reason we have Christmas. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." But as important as love is, it doesn't tell us everything about Jesus and why He came to earth in the first place.
The second part of that verse "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." In a word, the result of the love and the result of the story of Jesus is forgiveness-- because what happens when we believe in God's Son, We are forgiven.
In my scripture study I have been reading about Christ's birth and his early ministry. In those first months a paralyzed man was brought to Him for healing. The people who brought the man believed Jesus could heal their friend, and, because of their faith, Jesus did heal him--but not before He forgave the man of his sins. I love this verse found in Matthew 9: 2 "And, behold they brought him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." You see, the man's body wasn't the only thing that was paralyzed. His spirit was, too. That was the issue that concerned Jesus the most. Physical healing is for this life only, but spiritual healing is for eternity.
As I pondered that story I realized that in more ways than one, we or at least I am like that paralyzed man. We come to Christ thinking that our physical (or emotional) hurts are the big issue, but Jesus has something more to offer. He offers forgiveness. He promises forgiveness. That's not to say that He doesn't want to heal our hurts and shower us with His love and comfort. But without repentance and forgiveness we cannot fully experience the love of our Father in Heaven, (the reason for Christmas).
Someone once said that the life of Jesus began in a stable and ended on a cross. During this season of joy and love and peace and goodwill, it isn't exactly pleasant to think that the baby in the manger will grow up to suffer and die. Why does the Christmas story have to end that way? Because the atonement is what makes Christ's promise to forgive a reality. Helmut Thielicke said, "Crib and cross are both of the same wood." Without the manger there is no Love. But without the cross, there is no forgiveness.
There is another dimension to forgiveness that may help us experience Christmas more fully and its one that I have struggled with, but my eyes are being opened. Just as our Father has forgiven us through the atonement, we then must turnaround and forgive others. There is no better time than now to think about those people who have offended us or harmed us in some way. I have held onto those hurts and offenses for so long that they have become a part of my identity. As I have tried to strip those ugly feelings and resentments away it has been like scraping a cancer from a bone. It has also opened my eyes more fully to the things that I need to repent of and has helped me to realize that I have enough to worry about with trying to get myself and my family back to the arms of our Father. I don't have the time or energy anymore to worry about apologies, remorse or justice for someone else. Just like it says on the picture of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemene that you gave us several years ago, it hasn't been easy, but it has and will be worth it.
I think that when we're tempted to be stingy with our forgiveness, we need to remember that in our relationship with Heavenly Father, we are the offenders and He the offended. Heavenly Father showed us the way, He gave us a Savior and we know that He keeps His promises. He will forgive us if we repent and He expects us to forgive others.
Without forgiveness there can be no healing. Without forgiveness there can be no love. Without forgiveness there is only a baby in a manger. The journey from the stable to the cross is not an easy one, but it's a journey we must take. What better gift to give our Father, our Savior and ourselves, than the gift of repentance and forgiveness. That is a reason for celebration and a reason to "Be of Good Cheer!"
In the October Ensign, President Uchtdorf had a wonderful article titled, "One Key to a Happy Family. In it he said:
"It is through our Savior’s sacrifice that we can gain exaltation and eternal life. As we accept His ways and overcome our pride by softening our hearts, we can bring reconciliation and forgiveness into our families and our personal lives. God will help us to be more forgiving, to be more willing to walk the second mile, to be first to apologize even if something wasn’t our fault, to lay aside old grudges and nurture them no more. Thanks be to God, who gave His Only Begotten Son, and to the Son, who gave His life for us.
We can feel God’s love for us every day. Shouldn’t we be able to give a little more of ourselves to our fellowmen as taught in the beloved hymn “Because I Have Been Given Much”? The Lord has opened the door for us to be forgiven. Wouldn’t it be only right to put aside our own egotism and pride and begin to open that blessed door of forgiveness to those with whom we struggle—especially to all of our own family?"
Merry Christmas Mom!
Till Tomorrow,
Holley
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