blessings.

            It’s that time again! Time for buying presents at overcrowded malls, for holiday parties, for Santa & his elves, for holiday baking, and for get-togethers with friends & family. Christmas has got to be my absolute FAVOURITE holiday. It’s a time to remember all that we’re fortunate enough to have in our lives and to be thankful the birth of Jesus Christ.

In spite of remembering how blessed we truly are, why do we still tend to dwell on what we don’t have? Are you missing that ‘special someone’ in your life, your ideal job, that new electronic that you really want, good grades in school, that dream home? What is it in your life that makes you think “Yeah, my year was good, but it would be even better if God gave me ______”? It’s that feeling that everyone around you has a good paying job, name-brand clothing, a nice car, a boyfriend/girlfriend – has God forgotten about me? (It’s interesting to see that no matter what things God has blessed us with in our lives, we always like to turn it back to ourselves, and make us seem like the victim)

                A passage of scripture that has really been on my heart lately is Isaiah 40: 21-31. This passage speaks about the handiwork of God and the majesty of creation. But then, it goes into this section at verses 27 & 28 in which the Israelites are complaining that God has forgotten about them in their time of need.

²⁷O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
 ²⁸ Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
 He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

                I love reading this verse when I’m feeling like God has disregarded me, because it is a wonderful reminder that God is the man with the ultimate plan. We may not know what his purpose is, what He has in store for us, why He doesn’t allow us to have some of the things that we may think we need, but that’s where faith comes in. We need to have faith in His purpose; to believe that no matter what life has in store for us - past, present, future - it is according to His plan.


                So this Christmas season let's make a pact. Let's try not to dwell on the absence of desired things that we feel would make our lives better. Instead, let us rejoice in what we do have and all God has provided for us.


                What things has God blessed you with this holiday season?