Christmas isn't a wash-out.

This year I put up a Christmas decoration in my front garden. I made it from some old laminated chipboard. I carefully painted Mary in her traditional blue outfit (Wilko’s Ocean Spray) and Jesus wrapped in swaddling bands using brilliant white gloss (Wickes) I looked for a three-quarters used tin of something in green for Joseph’s cloak but nowhere amongst the 23 almost empty paint tins I’ve saved for touch-up jobs, was there a suitable shade. I eventually decided I could mix Mary’s blue with some yellow poster paint. Moments later Joseph had a green coat. An hour later it rained and Joseph had a brown laminated wood grain coat. Jesus remained strong.
This year hasn’t been one of the happiest I’ve had but it hasn’t been a total washout. Despite the sadness, Jesus has remained strong.
At the base of my model I have the word ‘joy’ and at the base of my life the same word rings out. I believe it is possible to still have joy even when some of life’s colours fade. The old carol talks about the coming of the Saviour being tidings of comfort and joy. This year I have known the Saviour bring both into my life.

Christmas isn't a wash-out

 

This year I made a Christmas decoration for my front garden, using an old piece of laminated chipboard. I carefully painted Mary in her traditional blue outfit (Wilko's Ocean Spray) and Jesus wrapped in swaddling bands using brilliant white gloss (Wickes) I looked for a threequarters used tin of something in green for Joseph but as I don't like the colour green I hadn't got one amongst the other 23 almost empty paint tins I've saved for when I needed to touch-up. Resourceful as ever, I mixed Mary's blue with some yellow poster paint and hey-presto Joseph had a lovely green cloak. He had a lovely green coat until it rained through the night. In the morning Joseph had a nice brown laminate wood cloak. Mary and Jesus remained strong.

I've not much enjoyed this year since March and when I was told  it would be against the law to enjoy our normal 10 household Christmas, I was both sad and angry. So much of what matters to me, seems to have been washed away by fear this year.

But when I looked at my garden picture with the hopeful "JOY" that I'd jig-sawed out of the off-cut of my laminate board, I realised afresh that Christmas isn't a wash out this year, The child who came to show us the love and compassion of God, is still light in the darkness, hope in the despair, comfort in the loneliness, calm in the frustration. Jesus was distanced from God for 33 years so we could be close to him always. I pray that the peace of God will be in our hearts this weird Christmas.   

Mistaken identity

Mistaken Identity

I'm not very good at remembering faces. Tonight  I watched some children perform a Christmas nativity play. They did very well. My job was to do 'the talk' and I needed some children to help me with a magic trick.    I called one child up and asked, "Were you a shepherd? " She shook her head. "Oh, sorry, were you a wise man's page?" She shook her head again. I looked at her blue outfit and realised she was Mary. How do you admit to Mary in front of 150 people including her parents, that five minutes after she has been standing with Joseph in a stable, holding baby Jesus in her arms, you didn't recognise her.
Earlier this year my daughter got married. We were all meeting for breakfast in a hotel the following morning and I went and stood next to an elderly gentleman who I was sure was one of her new Grandfather-in-laws. Having asked him whether he had slept well, I inquired where we were sitting for our breakfast. He smiled at me and said, "I'm not who you think I am but if you'd like to introduce yourself properly I'll take you to breakfast."  He wasn't with our wedding party at all.
In the Bible, Paul writes to the people at Corinth and says, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ"
So many people don't recognise the glory of God in the face of Jesus. Maybe they just see a plastic doll. The secret of recognising who Jesus really is, is letting the light of God shine in your heart. That sheds light on who Jesus is so that you will recognise him. 
Although I'm generally useless at recognising faces, I've come to not only see Gods' glory in the face of Jesus, but to know it. 
To be honest, I could still walk past Mary and the new grandfathers in the street, but now that God's light has shone in my heart I can recognise Jesus immediately. 
Maybe you could try it?