Cindy and I have joked that because of our Advent Bible study that started weeks ago, we feel as though Christmas should be long past. Even though our joking sometimes reveals a desire to get back to the "normal routine," our long Christmas has really been a blessing. Truly, it seems like we have had millions of Christmas moments--many that have happened when we least expected them. I've already blogged about some of the Bible study moments, but here are just a few more experiences of Christmas blessing:
- Our children in Koriyama love lighting the candles for worship. They do the job of "acolyte" with deep sincerity and a heavy sense of responsibility. During the Christmas Eve candlelight service this week, the children took turns lighting all of the candles, and seeing their faces display awe and delight at the light reminded me of the awesome, joyful news of Christ's coming as the Light for our darkness.
- Last night's Christmas Eve service in Fukushima brought together English students, Bible study students, church members, family members, and others... Afterwards everyone shared sweets and tea and talked...there was real conversation and prayer between some, first-time meetings for others, and even my high-school student stayed and talked until almost everyone had left.
Looking around the church at our tiny "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree and knowing the "real" stories behind the Christmas Eve clothing--the "real" frustrations behind the looks of general goodwill--somehow made the evening very special. The Baby in the manger was real--He came to step into our real darkness. Tense relationships, old and new fears, musical ponderings and wanderings, my utter lack of timing when trying to work our lagging light switches...from the funny to the frightening to the things that keep us in shame...Jesus came to work forgiveness and freedom in all of it, in the real.
- Cindy and I made our way to a community building in the afternoon today, because we'd learned last night that a girl who came to the Christmas Eve service was having a short flute concert. The girl had been studying in France and only recently moved back to Japan. As soon as Cindy and I entered the building for the concert, we were greeted not only by the flutist, but also by another lady we met earlier from Rwanda and a girl from Hong Kong. The afternoon music was made extra special by the randomness of the community gathered--who knew that America, Hong Kong, Europe, and Africa would all be represented in a small Christmas gathering in Fukushima? We basked in the lights and the music, and I couldn't help but think, "How like God, who takes people out of every race, culture, tribe, and nation and joins them as family..."
Christmas. I know that this is only repeating what many have already said...but it's so much more than a day, or a season, or a specific tradition, or weather, or music. It's God's huge plan of salvation. Life, light, joy, peace, relationship...it's all there, included as God's blessing, as His redemption of our brokenness and His abundance in exchange for our lack. It's more than a million moments. It's part of my every breath of life, my motivation for living, my peace in chaos and my confidence in the midst of shame or incompetence.
Yay.
That's all. Be blessed, dear ones, with your Christmas moments.
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