Sara
December, You enter our hearts as gentle as a lamb! O December Winter you are always so mysterious. You close your twinkling eyes so early in the eve making light hours so very short. But, your Star Light never fails to capture the seekers of long years gone-bye. What happened on that starry night that led Three Magis to seek with treasure a new born King? Diversity of Faith awakes in the hearts of man on your calendar month of December days.
Your weather paths are filled with rocking motion; much like that of a rocking tea kettle spouting out her steam. Yet, December, you always feel so WELCOME! Flickering Colored Lights, Jingling Bells, Aromatic Smells and Exotic Taste. $’s float from hand to hand buying treasures to fulfill a dream.
O Jolly Santa do your reindeer thing. But, please don’t forget the children of the ‘new wave’. Homeless children with parents living without a home or hope for a thing. Night skies of end’s year shine your light upon our hearts and shadow those character flaws that makes blind our eyes from despair of helplessness.
The Prophet’s of Old predicted what was to come….
to be continued….
thedailylily.com 
In Isaiah 40:11 we read, “He will feed His flock like a Shepherd; gather up the lambs in His arms and carry them close to His heart…he will be a sanctuary and His salvation will be to the ends of the earth.”
When I read your blog, Sara, where you pleaded for the little homeless ones, this Christmas…the ‘new norm’…not only in other nations but in our very own nation of America I thought of this Scripture and wondered….”how will You do that Lord? Will a fantasy Santa slide down a trillion chimneys to bring what’s needed to sustain life for these families? What about the ones, like Sara wrote above, who don’t have chimneys, or a roof or a house or walls? Who shall do it and how?
Jesus said, “greater things than these you shall do because I go to the Father.” How? It is through His Church of compassion, koininea, the ministry of good works, of good deeds. The ministry of food, and clothing and beds…Sara talked about beds for those who have lost theirs, in her lesson this morning.
But, some may say, there are many charitable & governmental organizations, who do that work. But the difference is this. In the church that Jesus founded two thousand years ago, we must not only share food, clothing, beds and medicines but the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Otherwise, there is no difference. We might as well rely on Santa, as cute as he is, to meet their needs.
December, a wake up call to all who profess Jesus Christ as the Son of God Who came into the world to save mankind from eternal hell fire. Will we rise up, open up and see what the Lord would have us to do for others, for the Kingdom of God to make this December a December to remember?
Ann Curry, Rock Center shows us a picture of how we can be a Santa helper:
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/rock-center/50020452#50020452
Brian Williams summed it up…”tough story but it’s a story playing out everyday…” Hard to face this contrasted with what Sara wrote… “Flickering Colored Lights, Jingling Bells, Aromatic Smells and Exotic Taste. $’s float from hand to hand buying treasures to fulfill a dream.”
What a heart breaking story. Oh Lord, open our eyes and our ears to hear the cry of the homeless and to hear what You might have to say to us, Your people who are called by Your name, to do what we hear You saying to us by Your Holy Spirit.
We lift these people up to you, especially the children, and thank You that You gather them up in Your arms and hold them close to Your heart. You are their sanctuary and salvation.
I have to share what scripture that came to my mind, after reading this blog…read with me (John 21: 15 – 25): “After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ Peter replied, ‘you know I love you.’ ‘Then feed my lambs,’ Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Yes, Lord, Peter said, ‘you know I love you.’ ‘Then take care of my sheep,’ Jesus said. A third time he asked him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, ‘Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Then feed my sheep.’ ‘I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.’ Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, ‘Follow me.’ Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved–the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, ‘Lord, who will betray you?’ Peter asked Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus replied, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.’ So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’ This disciple is the one who testifies to these events an has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.”
TH, I can’t help but think about the first part of that Scripture that you quoted above where Jesus says to Peter ( minister) ‘feed my sheep, feed my lambs” and its comparison to the Isaiah quote…”He will feed His flock like a Shepherd”. Some might tend to spiritualize these Scriptures and they ARE spiritual, but also Jesus signifies the method or how His sheep will be fed….through His ministers, His church…both spiritually and temporally/physically. Fed by the Word of God and fed where there is need, with food, clothing, roof, walls, beds.
We remember the story of the Good Samaritan that Jesus told. Let us NOT cross over to the other side like the teacher & rabbi did. But let us lead them by love, to the Cross.
Thanks, MG.
As we address the topic of helping the helpless and those who are not as fortunate as we to have been spared the ravages of intemperate weather and other circumstances that leave people homeless, jobless, “bedless” and hungry, Jesus, too, was greatly concerned about that.
In the book of Matthew, chapter 26, Jesus tells His disciples that when He returns in all His glory He will say to those at His right hand, “Come you blessed of My Father, receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the earth. For I was hungry and you gave Me food. I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. I was homeless and you provided a shelter for Me. I had no clothes and you gave Me warm clothing to put on. I was sick and in prison and you visited Me.” And the just will say, “when Lord did we do all that to You?” Then the Lord and King will say, when you did it to the least of these, My brethren, you did it unto Me.”
What an Inspirational Word that the Lord is giving us, to spur us on to good works that we may know, if our hearts are pure before Him, that we are doing these good deeds as unto the Lord our Savior and King.
December 5 gives me a day of Hope when I sing: ”Those who look to God are radiant- their faces are never covered in shame.” Ps. 34:5
Thinking on what Sara writes above, “O December Winter you are always so mysterious”… a Mystery was born in December, over 2000 years ago, and can be born over and over in the hearts of each one who wants the Mystery…”Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col 1:27). We are told in Col. 2:2, 3 that we can have a knowledge of the mystery of God, “both of the Father and of the Christ.” for all the “treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are hidden in them.”
In re-reading the scriptures from today’s devotional that some of us read each day, Jesus Calling, I realized this is one of the scripture references quoted that I had read earlier in am…that word mystery must have stuck in my mind when re-reading Sara’s blog.
Lord, thank you for the mystery within that Sara mentions. How could anyone live without the strength that that mystery within gives to us daily to function within this world. Today at my church service here in Lousiana they spoke of the Strength within. Mary had the strength when told she was pregnant with a child know and have faith in the WORDS spoken to her. She could well have been killed in that time not being married. She put all her faith and trust in God and His Word to her. What anxiety would have hit most of us with this news and reality of it in a world not God centered. She went to Elizabeth who confirmed what the angel had spoken, Luke 1:42-44 She (Elizabeth) spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43. “But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44. “For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45. “Blessed is she who believed for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.
Mary’s strength came from hearing the “WORD”.
Mary’s strength came from hearing a Godly woman confirm the “WORD”.
May we be strengthen this day and as the speaker said “Pray for an overflowing of the HOLY SPIRIT” as Elizabeth had to speak of whence our strength come to face any and all situations in our lives. We as Christians are not without trials and adverse situations in our lives. Each of have a story to tell. We can face valleys with the strength that JESUS gives us through the HOLY SPIRIT. So as the Pastor said, “Pray for an overflowing” so that we get strengthen and we can also pour into someone’s life today who needs JESUS and who needs the assurance that He is working in their life to do good and in and through their weakness can strengthen them.
Thanks be to the MYSTERY WITHIN!
I love thinking of ‘the mystery within”….as Rena’s states above our strength comes from within. I believe healing comes from within. When we speak strength into another we awaken the ability to heal among many other things. Use our voice and hands to give and receive strength! Mystery it is!