Savior / Son / Shepherd

It’s December and a good time to be writing about the Savior. Our Christmas lights are up and so I am surrounded by light here on our porch as I sit down to write. I have been listening to Christmas music for about a week now and already my heart is full of love for the Savior. We were sitting in the living room last evening in the dark with only the lights in the window and on the mantle glowing softly, that warm yellow glow that matches the fire in the fireplace. Music was softly playing from a classical Christmas station on Pandora and I heard a melody playing that are choir used to sing:

Were you there? Were you there on that Christmas night

When the world was filled with Holy Light?

Were you there to behold as the wonder foretold came to Earth?

Did you see, did you see how they hailed him King

With their gifts so rare that they chose to bring?

Did you see how they bowed as they praised him allowed at his birth?

Did you hear how the choirs of Angels sang at the glory of the sight?

Did you hear how the bells of heaven rang all through the night?

Did you know, did you know it was God's own son,

The salvation of the world begun?

Did you know it was love that was sent from above to the Earth?

Did you know it was love that was sent from above to the Earth?

I was asking myself that question the other day as I thought about my own love for this Jesus who I honor as my Savior, God’s son, the one who has shepherded me all my life.

I watched a sweet movie the other night called Angela's Christmas. It is about a little girl who sees the baby Jesus in the manger at church and to her this is not a doll but baby Jesus. She is filled with love for Him and is concerned that He has no blanket in the cold church. So she sneaks in later and takes Him home to get Him warm.

I cried at the simple love for baby Jesus and remembered how I was as a little girl. Christmas for me was always about baby Jesus and oh, how I loved him!

How does a child have that kind of love,? I wonder if I perhaps was given the gift of remembering. Could I possibly have remembered the night of His birthday? Surely all of us in heaven watched as this long-awaited day of His coming to the earth arrived. Where we there? Did we see? Did we hear? Did we sing? Did we know it was love that was sent from above to the Earth?

My own experiences with Jesus have all been filled with love.  When I read His teachings, when I sing hymns about Him, when I take time to be alone with Him, I feel his love. He is my Savior who has lifted me countless times when life has knocked me down. More importantly, when I was at my worst, He wrapped me in His arms of love and encouraged me to move forward and do better.

He is God's son who showed me how a child of God should live. He inspires me to be my better self.

He is the Good Shepherd who has carried me in His arms when I could not do it alone, when life had lets me deplete of the energy or will to move on.

No wonder I love to sing of Him at Christmas time and all year long!

Jesus, the very thought of thee with sweetness fills my breast.

But sweeter far that I face to see and in thy presence rest.