Stuff

A few days ago, I found this. It was hidden under the Christmas gifts, decorations and all of the other “stuff” of Christmas. I bought this for the little girl we were matched with earlier this year. I had forgotten about it, maybe because life is busy, maybe because I did not want to remember. When the stuff of Christmas was gone, there it was, sitting in the back of the closet.

Isn’t that how life often is? We can pile all kinds of stuff on top of what’s weighing on our hearts. The stuff only temporarily covers what’s underneath. The extra things may be a great distraction for a time, but they don’t last. This Christmas has had bitter moments and plenty of really sweet ones. This adoption process has been hard and brought to light so much of what is not right with this fallen world. So much brokenness, so much hard, so much that isn’t as it should be. We’re fighting against that darkness, yet the light has yet to break through. While this has made Christmas hard, it has also made it even more powerful.

This experience of brokenness and darkness, waiting for light to break through has made the promise that came to us at Christmas even more meaningful. The Hope that came on Christmas in the person of Jesus obliterated the dark. We don’t live in the fullness of that yet, but a time will come when we will. Darkness makes my soul long even more for the light. I stumbled upon this song this Christmas, Sing we the Song of Emmanuel. This lyric has been on my mind this season.

Go spread the news of Emmanuel. Joy and peace for the weary heart. Lift up your heads, for your King has come . Sing for the Light overwhelms the dark. Glory shining for all to see. Hope alive, let the gospel ring.Somehow, the amazing reality of the Gospel right now is that the darkness in this season only allows the light of our true hope to shine brighter. This hope doesn’t always feel tangible. It doesn’t mean some days aren’t hard. It does not take away the sadness of the loss of that little girl or the dull ache of this wait. But it reminds me to lift my head. My King has come and the light will overwhelm the dark.