O Come, All Ye Faithful
Tis the season for joy and merriment; the time of the year when we wrap our homes in a fanciful bow, crank up the holiday tunes and put our best recipes to the test. We want to do all the things, see all the lights and eat all the food! And yet... the kids are over-sugared from the celebrations and we moms are over-exhausted from the busyness of it all. If you're anything like me, you see take the barely-a-free-space-on-the-calendar and allow it to overwhelm you. The sights, sounds, smells and flavors can feel more like an avalanche of Yuletide as we juggle ugly sweaters, secret Santas and pot lucks galore. It can also be a season of sorrow and sadness for many who are missing loved ones, who are battling illnesses, or who are struggling with depression or anxiety, or... this list can go on and on.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28
This season, for me, is always busy, stressful, and a little bit sad. As I have spent the last few weeks immersed in the hustle and bustle of the holiday flow, I just couldn't get this song out of my head. I was singing it absentmindedly before bed last night and I felt God tell me to pause and concentrate as I sang...
"O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.
O come, ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him born he King of angels.
O come, let us adore Him.
O come, let us adore Him.
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord."
This song is an invitation. Come. Just like Jesus invites us to rest all of our burdens at His feet in Matthew 11, He invites us to experience joy and victory as we celebrate Him. Come to Him as He beacons you forward. In His presence, your weariness will morph into joyfulness, and your burdens will be transformed into triumph. By releasing our restlessness to Him, we can fully celebrate Him. Our rest comes as we behold Jesus, treasuring Him deep inside our hearts; and as we adore Him, fawning over Him with all of our love and affection. The invitation is ours: come, behold, adore. Thank you, God, for this sweet reminder.
