Updated on December 1, 2015
Upon the Midnight Clear
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” – Luke 2:10
There is a seldom-heard verse to one of my favorite Christmas carols that has become more personal to me in recent years (for obvious reasons).
O ye beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.
Do you hear the angels singing into your life?
Sometimes it is whisper-soft, and easily drowned out by the rush and pain of life. Other times it is a joyous noise, loud and glorious, making the problems of this earth fade to the background.
Either way… Angels. Are. Singing.
They have good news to share, glad tidings of great joy.
Are you listening? Will you sing along?
Sweet Lord, You came to earth. The angels still sing about it. Thank You for the chance to join them in song. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on December 1, 2015
Come and Behold Him
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. – Galatians 2:20
You know, as Christians with chronic conditions, sometimes I think the spotlight is on our lives more than on ordinary Christians.
Maybe it’s because people are fascinated by a train wreck. Maybe it’s because people are looking for a way to help, and we offer plenty of opportunity. But I think a lot of the reason has to do with the fact that people are looking for something different.
They are looking for a new way of handling pain. A different way of handling defeat. A hopeful way of looking to the future through impossible circumstances. When they see me, do they behold Him?
We all have our moments, and this is certainly not a post in which I’m encouraging anyone to put they happy face on before they venture out into the world. I believe that beneath any face we wear, whether we are tired or energized, in pain or feeling good, having just fallen to the ground, or recently climbed back up, we can still showcase Christ.
And here are two words I hope that no matter my mood, can be used to define my character.
Joyful & Triumphant.
Because I am. Under all the illness and frustration and sadness and rebellion. I am Joyful & Triumphant. In Christ. And that’s all that matters.
Oh Come, Let Us Adore Him…
Father, please help me to do my best to always showcase You, no matter my demeanor. Thank You for the blessing of Your presence. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on December 1, 2015
Til He Appeared
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9
Oh, how long have we lain, pining? How much longer must we groan?
May we ever use the pain as a constant and ready reminder that the world is still in sin and error. Christ has appeared. Their souls need to know their worth.
Our physical difficulties are nothing compared to the pain of a lost soul.
We can offer them the thrill of hope. We can bring rejoicing into the weary world.
What can we do, today, to remind them that a new and glorious morn has broken?
Dear God, let our pain be used by you to remind us that comfort and care are needed in this world. Let us make a difference for you in our frail bodies. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on December 1, 2015
O Little Town… Are You Asleep?
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look. – 1 Peter 1:12
How often do we see anyone famous go anywhere without an entourage these days? There are even those who call the paparazzi ahead of time with their itinerary so that their pictures will be sure to splash the pages of the glossies the next morning.
And yet, the Greatest of all Time, of all Mankind… the Holy of Holies, the King of Kings… entered this world in utter obscurity. In a little town, among the stable animals, in the quiet of the night, while the town slept in ignorance. Yet the promise of so many lifetimes gave His first cries right in the midst of them.
In these crazy days of ours, in these long nights, are we guilty of sleeping our way through the Miracle of Miracles, right in our midst?
We are like the shepherd boy who saw that star. We know. We have the secret, the mystery is revealed to us. We have the Way, and we are going.
So are we stopping to wake up our neighbors on the way? Or are we resting in the busy-ness and cares of this world while the Savior waits to save the world?
I want to spotlight Him like the Paparazzi. I want to be the entourage. I want to herald his itinerary.
He is Here! He is Coming!
Let me be like the first Christmas bells of morning, pealing and beautiful, telling loudly of His great love.
The babe is here. He came for you.
Dear Lord, You came. Help us never to forget how important it is for us to tell others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on December 18, 2015
Away in a … Manger?
And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. – Luke 2:7
We certainly have our ideas of how things should go, don’t we? We love to dream and envision and picture in our minds.
I know when I had my first child, and even my second, I certainly had an image of how things would go, what things would look like. I decorated their nurseries in my mind before I even knew if they would be a boy or a girl. I had a different color scheme picked out, depending on which it would be. I had the going-home outfits all thought out. And of course, everything would be… just…. perfect.
Do you ever wonder if Mary did the same? Do you think she dreamed of holding her son, wrapping him in her softest blanket, perhaps one made by an aunt or grandmother, perhaps one handed down through generations? I bet that she did. I bet that not one of her imaginings featured a smelly stable. Not one of her dreams involved lying the sweet baby in a manger. She probably didn’t plan on giving birth so far from her home and everything familiar, in the middle of the night, surrounded by strangers.
But oh, God had other plans. Glorious plans. And this was only the beginning.
Our lives are a lot like that I think. We had them all planned out, didn’t we? Did any of your dreams ever feature a chronic illness? How about embarrassing moments of disability? Oh, and don’t forget pain. I can tell you for certain that none of my plans included pain or stress or financial hardship. My dreams did not ever feature doctor visits and nights spent in tears and weeks spent indoors.
But oh, life had other plans. And my God is able to turn them into glorious plans. Perfect plans. And this is only the beginning.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for using even the lowly birth of Your Glorious Son to show us that You are able to make wonderful things of what seems like ruined dreams. Help us never to forget who we serve. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on December 1, 2015
Dawn of Redeeming Grace
“The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light,
And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death,
Upon them a Light dawned.”
From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:16-17
Some days can seem so dark. Some days can start out bright and sunny, and progress into heavy gray clouds that blot out the sky. On those days, all we can do is trust that the Sun is still there, it’s still shining.
And we can wait for the dawn.
Jesus ushered in a whole new kind of dawn when He followed the Father’s plan and became a babe in a manger. In the middle of the night, dawn had come to the souls of man.
Even though the sky was black, the brightest of dawns came into every dark corner. Despite the presence of the moon in the sky, the sun was the showcase. In spite of the danger, dread and dark despair all around, Light dawned.
And not just any dawn… glorious dawn, unparallelled in it’s brightness. The kind of light that could reach every crevice and extend 2000 years into the future, to light my dark days.
Have you been waiting for the dawn?
It’s here.
Dear Lord, light our lives with your presence. Dispel our hurts and our woes with the warmth of your light. Thank You for always surrounding us with your dawn. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on December 1, 2015
Hail the Incarnate Deity
By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory. – 1 Timothy 3:16
For those of us with chronic conditions, daily pain, and a struggle with disabilities, the fact that God chose to become a man is really something striking.
We long to be free of these bodies. He longed to put one on.
We groan at our frailty. He embraced it.
We curse the daily pain. He counted his body as a blessing.
How is this possible? How could God long to experience life in this shell? How could He rejoice at tired and blistered feet? How could He willingly accept cold and flu season in a body that is at the mercy of germs? How could He take on every ache and pain?
Knowing how easily His flesh would be torn.
Knowing how freely His blood would flow.
Why would He? Why?
The answer is simple.
He loved me.
And the answer is too complex for my human mind to comprehend.
He loved me.
God wanted me to be able to share in the glory of a heavenly body one day. He wanted to provide me with the opportunity to be free from pain, sickness, stress, and death.
And so He ran with joy toward a frail, earthly vessel that could never hope to contain His glory.
He loved me.
O Lord, Your love is such an undeserved gift. As we enter deeper into the season when the greatest Gift was given, please help us always to put you at the center. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on December 14, 2015
Are You Overdue to Not Overdo?
“Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land” (Proverbs 25:25).
It seems that what this season has been reduced to is busyness, to the point of collapse. Spending, to the point of being broke. And comparison, to the point of cruelty.
God has been reminding me more and more lately that these holidays are actually Holy Days.
Don’t delay any longer. You are overdue to not overdo.
You are cordially invited to join us at Rest Ministries.
Careful, it’s easy to find a home there. <3
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Shelly
Updated on December 10, 2015
All I Want for Christmas…
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Maybe you’ve heard… I’m an author. I giggled as I typed that. It still just thrills me to my toes, knowing my words are out there floating around. They are braced between two pretty covers designed by my hubby and they have my name right on them. Amazing.
I have 3 books out now. Isn’t that incredible?! I know it is for me.
And so I’d like to ask for a Christmas gift from each of you. If you’ve read any of my books, will you leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads for me? It would help my books’ rankings and it would just thrill my heart to see the word getting spread.
“You’re Chronically Ill… So Now What?” on Amazon
“You’re Chronically Ill… So Now What?” on Goodreads
“Your Loved One is Ill… So Now What?” on Amazon
“Your Loved One is Ill… So Now What?” on Goodreads
Any way that you can share the news about my devotional books would be so greatly appreciated, too. I’ve already got more in the works for the coming year. I pray every day that the words God gives me will bring hope and comfort to any who read them.
Thank you for going with me on this wonderful adventure. Thank you for your encouragement and support.
Heart Hugs <3
Father, please continue to guide and direct us. Thank You for using us not in spite of, but because of, our brokenness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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Shelly
Updated on December 9, 2015
The One for Brian
In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. – Ephesians 5:28
If I had known, on that long ago day when you knelt before me, ring in hand
that this was the future I was tying you to…
I don’t believe I could have walked down that aisle and placed my hand in yours.
I wanted so much more for you.
To know that you would learn to cook in your 30s, how to load a dishwasher and how big a load of laundry could be and still get clean…
To think that you would scoff at the mere suggestion that you would want to be anywhere else,
that you would become angry at the recommendation of placing me somewhere besides the home we share…
that in fact you would dream a new dream home with me in mind and an eye for a failing health future…
To see for myself the look in your eyes when you reach over and take hold of my hand
as if it is the greatest intimacy when it is all I have to offer…
the feather touch of your lips on mine, the evenings you lovingly brush my hair,
remarking on the beauty in the strands that have gone gray from stress rather than old age.
This body is so tired, and has so little to offer, and yet you love each inch as wondrously as you always have,
as if I’m still a strong and healthy girl with swaying hips and flirty hair tosses.
When I’m certain that there is no smile left in me, beaten down as I am by the weight of all the loss this disease demands,
you come and sit beside me and before I know it, I am laughing and all is right with the world again.
When I haven’t the strength to even blink and the slightest touch on my skin is painful,
you find the softest fabrics and use the coolest touch
you make it okay.
You remind me that there is love, there is goodness, there is hope.
Our marriage, it is what keeps me grounded in my faith when I may otherwise have forgotten…
that love given doesn’t have to be earned
that love returned isn’t about the body
that love is forever.
And so I guess I would take that walk after all…
down that aisle, in that veil, counting my steps so I didn’t run to you the way my heart demanded…
because how could I not.
You are my greatest blessing. You were then and you always have been.
I love you. I really do.
Dear God, thank You for the day You sent Brian into my life, and for every day since. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
