Death's Dark Shadows Put to Flight

-
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel.
I was thinking the other day how this will be the first Christmas without a lot of people, and I'm not gonna lie, it hurt quite a bit. For me, the closest people I'm missing this year are my uncle Kenneth and Honeygirl 
(yes, she was a person-at least to me). 
And in the past week, so many relatives of friends have passed away. SO many!!
The above verse of O Come Emmanuel always comes to mind when I'm tempted to be sad about death, though.
Death's dark shadows put to flight.
Death casts dark shadows and gloom over us, making us very sad if we're not careful. But because of Christmas - because of Emmanuel's coming - because of the birth (and eventual death) of JESUS - we don't have to fear the dark shadows of death. His coming and dying made a way for us to conquer death and overcome its darkness and curses.
His coming and dying made it so that all who are saved are free from the power of hell, and therefore citizens of Heaven for eternity.
Believing this, death is nothing but the passing from this earthly life into an eternity that is far greater than not only anything we've ever known, but anything we could ever imagine right now.
Believing this, death is nothing to be feared and everything to be excited about!!!!! 
If you look at it that way, our spirits should be filled with cheer at the thought of Jesus, the Dayspring, making it so that death is not a final destination, but merely a stepping stone to a life that feels and looks like Christmas on steroids 24/7 (for lack of a better description of Heaven at 2:30 am, from someone who hasn't yet experienced the glory).

So this Christmas, instead of letting nostalgia take over and feeling sad about the loved ones that are no longer here to celebrate the season with us, I'm cherishing the wonderful Christmas memories I have with them and thanking God that He blessed me so abundantly with them.





Philippians 1:21 - 
For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.







eBa

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Love Story

-
  Our Story This is how it goes... For several years, they would glance at each other across the sanctuary at Oak View Baptist on Sunday mornings. They knew each other, but they didn't really know each other. Beth went to High Point University, and Drew attended North Carolina State University. Years passed and sometimes they would say hey, but were usually too shy to say much else (yes, Beth Burroughs was shy around boys she thought were really cute). Even when they both accompanied the youth group on church camp trips, they didn't say much to each other. After college Drew moved back to High Point to start work and Beth moved to Boone to get her Master's at Appalachian State. The timing wasn't right yet....... When Beth was in her first year teaching at Southwest High School (2015), she sent Drew a Facebook message (ah, the era of social media) asking about apartments because she was looking to move out of her parents' house. She was also looking for the conversat
Read more

First #WeddingWednesday Post!

-
So I've been posting our story on our "The Knot" site. I've been posting in increments since I wanted to include the full story, but haven't had the time to sit down and type the whole thing! Also, I think people would rather read a little at a time... and it keeps everyone on the edge of their seat!! lol This was the first 'installment' I posted: For several years, they would glance at each other across the sanctuary at Oak View Baptist on Sunday mornings. They knew each other, but they didn't really  know  each other. Beth went to High Point University, and Drew attended North Carolina State University.  Years passed and sometimes they would say hey, but were usually too shy to say much else (yes, Beth Burroughs was shy around boys she thought were really cute). Even when they both accompanied the youth group on church camp trips, they didn't say much to each other. After college Drew moved back to High Point to start work and Beth m
Read more

Things Unseen

-
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV) 17  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.   18  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,  since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Lately I've been getting weighed down with the issues of the world. Yesterday I read 2 Corinthians 4:8-18 in my daily reading book. In these verses, Paul talks about being pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, and struck down but not destroyed... if you are a follower of Christ. The troubles of the world may weigh on us, but they will not overtake us. As we receive grace and sustenance for each day from God, we should become more thankful, which goes along with what I've been intentional about this week - writing a list of things I'm grateful for and thanking God for them. Focusing on these things will help us to see the world through His eyes. Verses
Read more