For
to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace…He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom…Isaiah 9:6-7
The first rays of sunlight peeked through
the curtains. Christmas morning had finally arrived! I tumbled out of bed and
ran down the hall with my brothers and sisters in tow. My little bare feet carried me as fast as I could go on the cold linoleum. I had waited months for
my beautiful red tricycle with a bell on its handlebars, red-and-white streamers, and a wooden wagon attached
behind the trike, fireman’s style, to complete the ensemble. My
anticipation heightened the closer I got to the living room and the Christmas
tree.
I stopped short. To my surprise,
a plain green tricycle sat under the tree. Where was the shiny red trike and
wagon I had asked for? Apparently, the North Pole ran out of those particular
trikes and delivered the plain green one on Christmas Eve instead. To say I was
disappointed is an understatement.
The Israelites had a similar
reaction to the gift of their Messiah. For hundreds of years, they had
anticipated Isaiah’s proclamation of a Savior to rule like no king ever had in
their history. Instead, they got a meek
baby lying in a plain, no frills manger. Adding to their disappointment was the
fact he was a mere carpenter’s son and, after a three-year ministry, was
prepared to die on a cross. To save them from their sins? Did he not see the
throat-hold the Roman Empire had on them?
The Jewish people couldn’t
embrace this kind of Messiah. He didn’t fulfill their expectations. Even one in
Jesus’ inner circle was disappointed enough to betray him.
I can’t say I got over my
disappointment any easier than the Israelites. I never forgot the shiny red
tricycle with its wooden wagon, bell, and streamers, although I had hours of
fun on the plain green trike until I outgrew it.
When our expectations of God’s
blessings don’t quite match what we receive, it’s easy to grumble and think our
solution would have been better. Why didn’t He just answer our prayer according
to our plans?
Trust God to bless you in the way
He deems best. Our Savior Jesus Christ turned out to be the most perfect gift
of all!
If you have a prayer need this
Christmas, please share it in the comments section. If your request is
confidential, please e-mail me. While you’re here, would you also take a moment
to lift up others in prayer? Thanks.
Are you struggling with loss and
grief during the holidays? The last two years I’ve shared these guest blog
posts about coping with loss through the holidays. If you’re grieving, I hope you
will find some solace in these blog posts as these ladies shared how their
faith got them through their toughest days. J
My sister Teresa
wrote about her first Christmas after losing her husband to pancreatic cancer
just four months before. Click here to read.
My friend Betty
wrote about losing her son in a motorcycle accident six months before Christmas.
Click here to read.
My friend
Kristin wrote about losing her father through a hospital error and then her three-year-old
son being diagnosed with leukemia a month later. This happened three months
before Christmas. Click here to read.
I'm excited to share that this
blog was accepted into the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid. "Bible Gateway
Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who
meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the
Bible." (BibleGateway.com)...Bible Gateway is a tremendous resource, not
only for writers but for any Christian serious about Biblical research. It also
has scores of devotions you can receive through e-mail on varying topics like
Max Lucado's “Five Days of Hope,” as well as many other resources. If you've
never visited this website, take a few moments to do so. You'll be blessed.
Merry Christmas,
Laura J
© Laura Hodges Poole
