Good News!

Christmas season has arrived! It brings with it family time, friends coming to visit, excitement, and cheer, which are all marvelous things. I’m so thankful for one more thing that it brings, though, which is the most important of them all –  the season where all around the world people are celebrating the most humble birth of all time, the King of Kings born in a manger. The very person who would one day die to pay the penalty that God required to make atonement for sin was born in a stable where oxen and donkeys lived. If that’s not love, than I’m not sure what is.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:16-20

This Christmas, I’ve also been thinking that this will probably be my last Christmas at home before I go to live in Paraguay. While this brings a little bit of sadness thinking about not being able to be with family and friends here in Michigan, it also brings excitement and joy to my heart. I am going to Paraguay to be a part of the Lord bringing His Truth to the nations, specifically to the tribal people that live there. God has given me the privilege of being a part of people coming to know Him in a real and personal way so that they might glorify Him! Yes, I will be giving up a few family gatherings and traditions that come with Christmas, but I will be gaining something much greater – the opportunity to  spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to people who have never heard of that tiny baby that was born next to the oxen and donkeys more than 2,000 years ago. And these people will in turn have the opportunity to know and glorify God and live with Him forever. How can this not bring excitement and joy to my heart?!

I’m praying that you will have a lovely Christmas, and that you, too, will be able to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world with me.