I have always been head-over-heels IN LOVE with Christmas. There is this incomparable wonder that encompasses this time of the year—but, it’s really hard when that isn’t captured.
This season is really rough for a lot of people—depression is real, loss is real, anxiety, dissociation, horrible family situations, they are all super real and super freaking hard, especially during Christmas.
It’s been an interesting few weeks, living in the midst of some of the weirdest mental health problems I’ve ever endured, and it seems there are many others in a similar situation. Christmas is wonderful, but it can be exhausting to try walking through such a joyous season in a state of such incredible exhaustion.
It just feels weird – it feels wrong to not be super entranced with the wonder of this time of the year.
But even in the midst of the “not-feeling-it” and the fears and detachment from the beauty of Christmas—
There was still a teenage girl.
An angel.
And an unexpecting fiancé.
A crowd of animals.
A manger.
An angry king
And a new One.
There was a star—
It was so bright.
And some humble kings
With gifts to present
To the Baby-King.
It sounds funny—but how powerful.
How completely world-changing.
Eternity shook at the birth of this baby.
What a shocking thing,
This King to come
Through such scandalous means.
With prostitutes in His family line
And adulterers
And the evil
And the broken…
What king would ever choose to come in such a way?
This couldn’t be God—
It’s all too dirty,
It’s all too broken.
Why this way? How?
But one not-so-silent night,
With a census
And shunning family,
With every worldly thing
Out to get this little babe,
The angels sang
And shepherds ran
And the rejoicing echoed
Across all of Bethlehem
Across Judea
And throughout the world
Because this King
Changes everything
And He still is changing everything.
In all the moments of doubt and fear
In anxiety, depression, and paralyzing grief
His name, this seemingly helpless King in a stable,
His name is still called
Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
And oh, how wonderful, that these words were spoken
Long before this little King
Laid His head in hay
And surrounded Himself
With animals
And the lowest of the low shepherds
And the humblest kings
He came
And He lived
And this little King
Became a man
And His humility
Laid the foundation
For His Kingdom
And our salvation
Till death met Him for but a moment
And He bid it farewell
Because nothing can keep Him away from us, the Beloved
He calls us home to Himself
With resounding bells of
Hope, Peace, Joy, Love
All the opposites
Of what we have felt
Reversing the cycle of sin and death
To bring us into the fold of the Father’s Heart
“For a child is born to us, A son is given to us; And the government Is upon His shoulder; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 –
•••
With Love,
Hannah
Merry Christmas Hannah… Have a blessed day
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Chills! This was beautiful!! For some reason, this line in particular struck me:
An angry king
And a new One.
I love your style of writing. Can’t wait to read more!
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So blessed by this – thank you!!
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Rejoice, rejoice! It’s all about HIM, after all and amen.
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❤
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