Journey of the Heart

Journey of the Heart

Recently I had someone say to me that Christmas time is nothing but madness and would be better removed from the calendar.  My first reaction was to take offense at this.  You see, I have loved Christmas my whole life and have so many great memories of this time with my mom when I was young, with my kids as they came along in life, and then in the last 12 years since Jesus became my Lord, not just my Savior.  As I gave the comment some thought, I found I could agree that the world can make Christmas a crazy time.  And, in the past I have succumbed to the whirlwind that surrounds this sacred time, and found myself with no joy by the time Christmas actually arrived. So, I realized that while not right, I could see how someone could become hardened by watching the world “celebrate” the wonderful Christmas holiday.

Not long after hearing the negative comment I was given a Christmas card.  The caption on the front says:” Christmas is a Journey of the Heart.”  It seemed as I read the caption, that this short message was a neon sign. “Yes” I thought, this is the answer to all the negativity that arises because of how our culture sees Christmas.  They have never taken the journey!

Jesus came to the world the same way all humans do; as a helpless baby.  He would be loved and cared for by loving parents, and through all the world’s promises and grief, He would grow to be the Man God sent to rescue our world.  When He became a man, Jesus went on a “journey of the heart”. In 3 short years He taught us about the Father, taught about the Kingdom and its principles, showed what love and healing looks like from Heaven’s prospective, and He prepared Himself for the journey’s climax that would accomplish for the Father a renewed relationship with His lost children.  Jesus could not have done this without living through the love in His heart; the heart of the Father.

This journey of our heart is how we, as Believers, can transcend the world’s idea of Christmas and see what really matters.  That God had a plan which He had held on to from the beginning of time. The plan was a humble one designed to draw the humble, the hurting, the lost and the watchers.  So, the plan began in humble surroundings with the birth of a baby in a manger, in a stable, in a city that was all but ignored by the nation in which it sat.  There was nothing remotely majestic about this plan yet two people agreed to go on this journey of the heart, and they made a life for the Son of God, so He would grow up to complete the mission He had agreed to. They loved Him, protected Him and allowed Him to develop into the Servant, Savior He was born to be. 

We can’t allow ourselves to lose our focus on Christ because the holiday has been distorted.  While not easy, we can allow the frenzy of the world to pass by without effecting the journey we are on with our Lord.  By taking the journey of the heart each year at this time, we can enjoy with our families the same love God gives us and not get caught up in the world’s imitation of love, peace and joy.  Hold out for the real love, real peace and real joy that a baby brought to the world and offered to all who would believe in His sacrifice, in His journey. 

Merry Christmas to all who are on their “journey of the heart”.  Be sure to wave as we pass by on the great adventure we are on with the greatest Guide ever.