They are all around me now, everywhere I look – symbols of this Christmas season – decorated, brightly lit trees, wreaths, lights, snowmen, Santas, reindeer, angels, candy canes, and the occasional nativity. The sheer abundance of these myriad symbols makes them virtually inescapable. At work, in every store, at the gym, at church, (of course) in my neighborhood and even in my own home, the symbols of Christmas surround me continuously.

Over the years, I’ve accumulated quite a collection of Christmas decorations. I even have some things that belonged to my parents and some that belonged to my grandparents at one time. Unpacking and unwrapping these decorations is like rediscovering lost treasure while reliving old memories all over again each year. They always bring me a lot of joy and comfort as I surround myself with these symbols of the season I am preparing to celebrate, which is Advent – the coming of the long awaited King of kings and Lord of lords.

“On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Revelation 19:16)

But lately I have become aware of some controversy concerning the symbols of this season and the inclusion of these symbols in our celebration of Christ’s birth. For example, apparently the Christmas tree was a pagan symbol which was not brought into the celebration of Christmas until the 1800’s here in the United States. However, evergreen trees are the ones used for Christmas trees, which seems fitting since evergreens of all varieties are a symbol of eternal life, which Jesus came to bring to mankind. Usually an angel or a star sits atop the Christmas tree reminding us of the angel who appeared to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’s birth or of the star which appeared on the night of His birth over the place where Jesus lay in the manger. It was this star that guided the three kings from foreign lands in their search for Jesus.

As I look around my house, it’s hard to tell whether I have more Santas or more Nativity scenes. Would it be clear to the casual observer coming into my home, what or who I am celebrating this season? There is one decoration I particularly like which sits on the windowsill above my kitchen sink. It is a small nativity scene which includes Santa Claus on his knees before the baby Jesus in the manger. This image puts things in their proper perspective for me – reminding me of these words –

“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

Santa Claus may be pretty popular in our culture at this time of the year BUT even Santa bows down and takes a back seat to Jesus whose birthday we are celebrating at Christmas. We celebrate because He came! To truly appreciate that sacrifice, we have to realize that Jesus –

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8)

This is the miracle that we celebrate at Christmas – the miracle of Jesus’s birth, the miracle that God loves us so much that He came here personally in the form of His Son, Jesus.

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us.’ ” (Matthew 1:22-23)

Jesus’s birth is something that is worthy of celebration. Jesus’s appearance is good news for each and every one of us. Jesus’s coming is hope in an otherwise hopeless world. Jesus is God’s gift of light and life to our dark and dying world. The angels proclaimed as much to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’s birth and the proclamation remains the same to this day –

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.’ ” (Luke 2:10-14)

Good news, great joy, peace to men, God’s favor shown to us! This is what we need to remember – what we dare not forget. This is what we celebrate every year – God’s gift of Himself to us. Jesus has come and He’s coming again. Now is the time to prepare to receive Him.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

preparing a place for Him,

sincerely, Grace Day

“Joy to the world! The Lord has come! Let earth receive her king!” (so go the words to a familiar Christmas carol) Only they didn’t receive their king – they didn’t even recognize their king when He came to earth. The people failed to give their king a warm reception when He made His first appearance here, and we still struggle with receiving Him to this day.

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:10-11)

“let every heart prepare Him room” – the song continues. Is that why they didn’t receive their king? their long-awaited Deliverer? their promised Messiah? because they weren’t ready for His coming, because they hadn’t made any room for Him, because they hadn’t prepared a place for Him in their homes, in their hearts, or in their lives? I guess they were too busy with their daily, mundane lives to make a little room to receive the Redeemer they claimed to be longing for, even though they had made no preparations for His arrival.

Today, as I turn my calendar, I discover that December has arrived and I realize it is time for me to make room to receive my Redeemer all over again. Didn’t I just do this eleven short months ago? How has my life become so full of clutter in such a short time? What all have I let creep back in that I had once cleaned out in order to make room for my coming King? I ponder this point as I put away my pumpkins in order to make room for Santas and snowmen and stockings and reindeer and such. (no wonder there’s no room for Jesus) I am simply replacing one set of clutter with another.

I want to have clarity. That’s why I need to clear away the accumulated clutter in my life. In order to see things more clearly, I need to clear away all those things that steal my focus and obscure my vision, preventing me from seeing what or who truly matters.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) Kind of hard to do if I am surrounded by mountains of my own making, mountains that block my view, thereby robbing me of my vision.

“Let every heart prepare Him room!” That’s what this month of Advent is all about for me. As I am preparing my home, I want also to be preparing my heart to receive God’s gift to me – His only Son. I don’t want my life to be so busy and so cluttered that I don’t have the time or the room to invite Jesus in so that He can abide with me. That’s why He came, after all, to make His home with us.

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

That’s what Advent calls me to remember and to celebrate – that God kept His promise and sent you and me a Savior – and that Savior is His One and Only Son, Jesus. Jesus came and the world has never been the same since. He brought His light into our darkness and His light will not be extinguished.

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5)

“Let every heart prepare Him room!” I want to be ready when He comes. To that end I will pray the prayer King David prayed so long ago –

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:10-12)

Advent is the anticipation of and the preparation for the arrival of the King. The promise has been given and now it will be fulfilled. Hope and joy accompany this long-awaited event. But I have work to do if I am to be ready – the time is drawing near!

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

sincerely, Grace Day

Ping-pong is not generally considered an extreme sport by any stretch of the imagination. I do not think of ping-pong as a dangerous or extreme sport myself. Well, that is until now. My sister recently broke her wrist/arm playing ping-pong, forcing me to view this benign, family friendly game in a whole new light. My sister was not playing in the Olympics or in any competition for that matter. She was playing in her own home with other family members.

As far as I know, ping-pong is not a contact sport. After all, there is a whole table between you and your opponent. You will not be tackled or fouled or body blocked or any such thing that can occur in contact sports. Helmets, padding etc. are not standard gear, nor are they required for ping-pong participants. If there is someone on your side of the ping-pong table, they are your teammate. They are on your side both literally and figuratively. If they do you harm, I think this is what we call “friendly fire.”

My sister’s injury was not the result of “foul play” nor of overzealousness on the part of her opponents. We could blame the positioning of the ping-pong table, as it was placed just outside the garage but (as we now know) too close to the small step that differentiates the garage floor from the concrete of the driveway. It was this small step that tripped her up and caused her downfall, so to speak. With her focus on the game, she basically forgot the step was there until she tripped on it and lost her balance. Surgery and a cast are now required to repair the damage.

I empathize with my sister, as some years ago I too, had a broken wrist/arm and remember, although somewhat vaguely, the pain and the cumbersomeness of a cast. Having broken bones was not on her to do list, nor her bucket list, nor was this unforeseen occurrence included in any of her plans, contingency or otherwise. She has had to cancel a planned trip and in the coming weeks, activities that were not previously challenging will now pose new levels of difficulty.

I have no doubt she will rise to every challenge and find new and ingenious ways to accomplish what used to be simple, mundane, daily tasks. Oh, what we take for granted until it is gone! My takeaway from all this is that I may need to add ping-pong to my list of dangerous, adventurous activities along with bungee jumping and sky diving. I can no longer think of ping-pong as simply a benign, family friendly pastime anymore. I now know what can happen to the unsuspecting participant.

Besides extending my sympathy, I did find some medical advice for my sister in the book of Proverbs which I will share with her and with you, dear readers, just in case you ever find yourselves in a similar circumstance. It is found in Proverbs 3:7-8 which says,

“Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” (NLT)

That’s what I’m praying for my sister, healing and strength for her broken bones. Thankful to God that He is the ultimate healer and thankful for all the medical professionals that use their God given skills to put people back together when we need it. I think it is only when something is broken, that we realize just how perfectly designed our bodies are in the first place.

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14)

Our Heavenly Father specializes in putting broken people back together again, both physically and spiritually. My sister is in good hands. So are you and I, dear readers. I think it’s “safe” for me to live life to the full. I’m not crossing ping-pong off my list.

sincerely, Grace Day

Isn’t that what we all want? what we all spend our lives longing for, looking for, waiting for, desperately desiring – that one perfect love? Perfect love is the stuff of Shakespeare’s sonnets, fairytales, country-western ballads, Hallmark movies, today’s romcoms and yesterday’s Austen novels. Perfect love is the stuff of myth and of legend. But does perfect love actually exist? This is the ever elusive question we each endeavor to answer in our own time and our own way. We want to believe perfect love is out there somewhere – this is what keeps us going through our toughest times and our darkest days – the thought that somewhere out there is someone who will love us perfectly and forever.

Perfect love proves stronger than all opposition and always triumphs in the end. The handsome prince rescues his beloved against all odds just like it happened for Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, perfect love prevails and rescues its recipients – the objects of its desire. Wish someone loved me that much – enough to pursue me, break down barriers to reach me, enough to face danger, enough to give their life for me. That’s the kind of love I’m talking about – where is that kind of love today?

Where is that great love? that love that transcends time? I read about it in John 15:13 – Jesus is talking to His disciples and describes love in this way –

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Jesus would soon demonstrate this great love He has for each one of us, by dying on that cross to redeem you and me for His own. I guess that’s going to pretty great lengths just to rescue me (and you, dear readers) – we are the objects of His affection. His love for us definitely transcends time.

“Long ago the Lord said to Israel, ‘I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself.’ ” (Jeremiah 31:3)

Perfect love is sacrificial – Jesus gave up everything to come here and rescue me –

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8)

Perfect love is timeless, it is lasting – perfect love doesn’t give up –

“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ ” (Hebrews 13:5)

“If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:8-10)

Perfect love is unafraid – there is no fear, only freedom in perfect love

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

Perfect love is an action verb – not a feeling, and the actions of perfect love are many –

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

The prince in Cinderella went to great lengths to find his true love, his perfect love. He thought he had lost her forever. But he left no stone unturned or more accurately, no foot unmeasured against the glass slipper which was his only link to his perfect love. He did not stop until he found his perfect love, Cinderella. In the same way, my Heavenly Father, has spared no expense in His pursuit of me.

“For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.” (Isaiah 43:3-5)

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

what is perfect love?

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

perfect love sacrifices self for its beloved – the ultimate act of perfect love

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

God’s love = perfect love!

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

as God’s children you and I are perfectly loved! we can stop searching – our Prince has come for us, He has conquered sin and death, He has moved heaven and earth to make us His own – He holds out the glass slipper, made a perfect fit for each one – His perfect love has purchased our pardon. His perfect love is ours now and forever!

sincerely, Grace Day

Transient – that seems to describe everything that surrounds me in this world. Temporary, lasting only for a short time, impermanent – that’s transient. Seems like those words define just about everything around me. In Isaiah I read –

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Jesus told His disciples this – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

So, it’s not my imagination. I am living in a transient world. Nothing seems to last. I find myself tired of the temporary, weary, longing and looking for that which lasts – that which is eternal. But in order to experience the eternal, I need to be changed. I need to be transformed. Fortunately, God specializes in transformations. That’s one of His superpowers. And God’s transformations are dramatic and complete. In Isaiah God issues this invitation to me and to you,

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

That’s transformation! So is this –

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Part of my transformation includes a transplant of my most vital organ, my heart. God promises to do this for me and for you, for anyone who will receive this life-saving, life-changing transplant that He offers us for free. God says –

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” (Ezekiel 37:26-27)

That heart transplant has been an essential part of my transformation. Having a heart of flesh allows the seed of God’s living Word to take root and grow in me, which is necessary before any transformation can take place. Something else that is a necessary part of my transformation is the transfer of my sins (transgressions) from myself to my Savior, Jesus. Isaiah explains the transfer this way –

“Surely He (Jesus) took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our (my) transgressions, He was crushed for our (my) iniquities; the punishment that brought us (me) peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are (I am) healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

So there you have it. All my transgressions were transferred to Christ on the cross and He paid the price for me that my sins deserve. Jesus knows it is a price I have no ability to pay now or ever. It is this transfer of my sin that paves the way for my new life in Christ, my transformation. This is a continuing process for me as I endeavor to follow this advice from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome –

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

Today, my transformation in Christ continues (I am a work in progress) while I eagerly await the day I will be transported to the home He is preparing for me and for you and for all who believe on His name. This event is described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 in this way –

“But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.”

I read about this same promise of being transported and transformed in Philippians 3:21 where I read that Jesus –

“will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”

Complete transformation and complete transparency are achieved when our transport to our heavenly home is complete.

“For now I see through a glass darkly, but then I shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

That’s transparency!

Today, trans is a popular word when connected with the changing of one’s gender. We are living in a time when people are confused about their identity, dissatisfied with who they are, searching for a sense of self, struggling to find their place in this world and this has led many to attempt to transform themselves – to fashion themselves into something or someone of their own making, in their own image with less than satisfactory results as the painful process leaves them still dissatisfied and searching for the transformation they so desire but cannot seem to achieve on their own.

The good news is that we are each created in the image of the eternal, invisible God and are of infinite value as His creation. As God’s creation and dearly loved children, we have already been given identity, value, a place and a purpose – simply because we are His.

“Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:3-5)

He who created us will also transform us by His infinite power. God transferred our transgressions to His only Son, Jesus and crucified them on that cross.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

We receive a new heart and a new life – free gifts from our Heavenly Father. Our eternal transformation will be completed “in the twinkling of an eye” and it will be permanent.

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

We will be transported to this place when our transformation is complete. No longer surrounded by the transient, we will be in eternity with our Creator, God.

sincerely, Grace Day

yes, I recently experienced just such a weekend and no, I am not reliving my college days. (full disclosure, being an introvert and being very studious by nature, my college days were not marked by partying anyway – reliving my college days would warrant more time in the library) Ok, with that out of the way, let me tell you about the three “parties” or celebrations that I attended all within one weekend.

It started with a funeral. That’s right, I said funeral. This was a celebration of life. We celebrated the life of a dear friend whose life was taken too soon – well that’s the human perspective on her death. Recently, she had truly come into her own, as she used her many talents and abilities to serve God and to serve other people. She had revamped our church’s food co-op program and was giving cooking classes to help families learn to eat healthy, nutritious meals. But viewed from God’s eternal perspective, our human mourning was filled with rejoicing for our friend as we celebrated the life she had lived here and the life she is now living with her Savior in eternity. God’s timing is always perfect – so I will trust Him and celebrate that my friend is now with Him, even though we miss her not being with us. We were gathered to celebrate our friend’s new life in a place described in this way –

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

How could I not be happy for my friend knowing this is her reality now? Indeed, this is the promise for you, dear readers and for me and for anyone who chooses to accept Jesus’s invitation to believe in Him. Jesus said –

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

That promise is a reason to celebrate and celebrate our friend’s life we did. We rejoiced over her earthly life with us and we rejoiced over the life she is living now in the place God had prepared already, especially for her. We cried, we laughed, we remembered, we told stories, we prayed, we shared a meal together – it was a perfect party. We celebrated the promise of new, eternal life.

The next “party” was Sunday morning church service. This was a special day. We witnessed fifteen baptisms complete with a personal testimony from each person before they were immersed in the water in the very large washtub at the front of the sanctuary. That’s right – this church was built in the late 1800’s – there is no baptistry built into it. Each person’s personal story of redemption was a reason to rejoice, for us to celebrate along with them, the new life that has begun in each one since they met Jesus, much like what happened to Saul on the road to Damascus where he met Jesus. Saul received a new life, a new purpose and a new name (Paul) – he was totally transformed. So were the fifteen individuals whose baptism party I attended on Sunday morning. We rejoiced, we cried, we laughed, they told us their stories, we witnessed their daring obedience to the living God, we prayed. It was a perfect party. We celebrated the promise of new, eternal life.

Baptism is a symbol of the new life we have in Christ. Paul explained it this way in Romans, saying –

“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. . . . Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.” (Romans 6:3-8)

Another translation says – “that we may walk in newness of life.” That’s what baptism celebrates – the gift and the promise of new life in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it is explained this way –

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

New life – this is something worth celebrating most assuredly – which brings me to my third “party” of the weekend – a baby shower! I attended a baby shower later that day where we all celebrated the new life that is growing inside his mother’s womb even as we prepared to welcome him into this world by showering his parents with gifts intended for this new little person, who will soon make his entrance into our world. We rejoiced with the new parents, we laughed, we told stories, we prayed, we shared a meal together. It was a perfect party. We celebrated the promise of a new life.

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13-16)

And so my weekend of “partying” came to an end. A funeral, baptisms and a baby shower – what do they all have in common? They are all celebrations of life, of eternal life, of new life. They are all celebrations of God’s promise of life both abundant and eternal.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

Come to think of it, these celebrations occurred in reverse order of how we experience them in our own lives. First, we are born physically, then reborn or born again spiritually, symbolized by baptism, then comes our physical death, which frees us to enter into our eternal life with Christ in heaven. Jesus explained it to Martha this way, saying –

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)

At each of these “parties” we were celebrating the promise of new life – the funeral, the baptisms, the baby shower – all evidences of the new life we are given in Christ, from birth to death and beyond. Parties full of promise – eternal life, abundant life – always worth celebrating.

“but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

sincerely, Grace Day

That’s what we all want, isn’t it? – that perfect empathy – to be completely and perfectly understood. We are constantly feeling misjudged, misunderstood, marginalized and maligned by others, both by those we barely know and by those who know us well. We often think, “If they only knew what I’m dealing with or what I’m going through” – but they don’t and we don’t trust them enough to tell them. Or perhaps other people are simply too busy to notice, to listen or to care. Empathy requires our time, it requires our trust and it requires our compassion for someone beside ourself.

No wonder empathy is in such short supply and therefore so hard to come by. I am craving empathy from others while simultaneously, others are desiring and in need of the exact same thing from me, my empathy, understanding and compassion toward them. We are all in search of that perfect empathy from someone, anyone. But we are all human and we all fall short of being an infinite supply of empathy, compassion and understanding for each other.

The author of this song’s lyrics expressed it well for all of us when he wrote “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve been through, nobody knows my sorrow, nobody knows but Jesus.” How is it that Jesus has such perfect empathy for me and for you and for everyone created in His image? Hebrews 4:14-16 explains it this way –

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Jesus is the One who has perfect empathy for each and every person always, including you and me. Jesus came here to walk awhile in our human shoes before giving His life as a ransom for many.

“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8)

“Carrying my sorrows, taking up my infirmities” – if that’s not perfect empathy, I don’t know what is. Jesus came to walk with us, to walk a mile in your shoes and in my shoes, and He is still doing this today. Jesus walks miles in each and every shoe – be they sandals, boots, high heels, moccasins or bare feet. Jesus doesn’t miss one step, one stumble, one valley, one steep climb, one desert path, one rocky road or one winding trail – He is there every step of my way and of your way.

We may not understand each other, but Jesus understands each one of us perfectly. Whatever we are going through, He is right there with us. He was with Daniel in the lion’s den. He was with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fire of the king’s furnace. He was with the Israelites in the desert. He was with the disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee during the storm. He is with me and with you today. He has promised He will “never leave us nor forsake us.”

His empathy towards us is perfect because He knows everything that we experience, everything about us. The psalmist says it this way –

“As a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14)

Feeling misunderstood can be a weighty burden to wear but God, in His perfect empathy, sympathizes and lightens our load as He walks our miles with us.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” (Psalm 68:19)

If anyone felt misunderstood, maligned and misjudged it was Job. His three friends came to sympathize with him, but ended up judging and accusing Job, adding to Job’s already painful situation. Job did not receive any empathy from his friends or that which he did receive was woefully inadequate to say the least. Even Job’s wife did not have the empathy for him that he wanted and needed. But – even in his most dire circumstances, Job believed that God had not lost track of him, but knew exactly what he was going through (perfect empathy) and would bring him through it successfully. To this end Job declared –

“But He (God) knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

God’s perfect empathy is my hope. He knows the way that I take, He is walking with me, bearing my burdens, understanding my struggles, aware of my pain, and He will bring me forth as gold. Nobody may know the trouble I’ve seen, nobody but Jesus. BUT – that is enough – Jesus’s perfect empathy is enough to see me through this journey.

sincerely, Grace Day