No sun – only the Son

I love to sleep.

I’m a night owl, as I’ve mentioned before….but I do love my sleep.

I’m not a morning person….I’m getting better, but I don’t wake up early as a rule, though I do LOVE early mornings.

So, where am I going with all this?  Well, I’ll tell you.

Dark….or rather the lack thereof.

So, wouldn’t that be DAY, Toni? Not necessarily.  Besides, I’m referring to the light of the Son, not the sun.

Ok, so maybe I’m a little weird, but I was thinking yesterday about the fact that in Heaven, there will be no night. (If I say anything theologically wrong, please, someone, correct me!)  And, I know that we will have no need of the sun for the Light of Christ will be more than sufficient.

So, I was wondering, why no night?

Well, for starters, the Light that emanates from Immanuel cannot be extinguished.  Therefore, no night.  Simple enough.  But, what about no night for sleeping?

I don’t know about you, but I sleep much better in the dark than in massive amounts of light.  So, I wondered why there would be none.

And then, a few things occurred to me:

1.  We will be in the Presence of the Lord God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth, Immanuel, Yeshua – who wants to sleep then??

2.  We will be so busy being about the business of our Lord and Savior, that we just won’t have time.

3.  And, what if the words from Isaiah 40:31 would apply in Heaven?  Yet those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength;  They will mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.

Or maybe the sleep we need here on earth is a result of sin.  And once we’re in Heaven, there will be no more sin, and therefore no need of sleep.  Sin cannot hide in the Light.  And the Lord cannot abide with sin.

So, at this point, it’s still a question for me – what does no darkness in Heaven mean?  No sleep?  No need for sleep?  Is it an illustration of the lack of sin?  Or is it simply that being in the presence of the Creator of the universe will require our eternal undivided attention, thus removing the need for, or possibility of, time used for sleep?  Since Jesus is peace, and we go to Him to get rest, perhaps therein lies the answer.

From Helen Keller

“Unless we form the habit of going to the Bible in bright moments as well as in trouble, we cannot fully respond to its consolations because we lack equilibrium between light and darkness.”               Helen Keller

Smart woman….very smart woman.

Christmas Trees

Have you ever noticed the differences in Christmas trees?

Some are simple – others are ornate.  Some are flocked – others are a beautiful evergreen.  Some are real – some are artificial.

It seems Christmas trees are a very personal thing in our country.  One person may have a designer tree full of gorgeous department store ornaments, ornate ribbons, and hundreds of lights.  Truly a sight to see.

Others may prefer a simpler decoration – perhaps just lights and some tinsel.  Or maybe all homemade decorations.  There are trees with ornaments depicting our hobbies and memorializing our deceased loved ones.  Some of us use garland, others use ribbons, some tinsel, and others pinecones.  Trees run the gamut from truly country-style to high-end upscale fashion.

Yes, Christmas trees are a personal expression of ourselves.  For us, our tree this year is one with multi-colored lights (I generally prefer clear, but am outnumbered by 3!) and decorations of all kinds.  There are the beautiful ones my Mom bought for my sister and I a couple of years ago.  There are ones the girls have made with no help from anyone.  A few were purchased at the girls’ first or second Christmases.  One is a photo ornament of my late father-in-law given to us by my sister-in-law last year.  Perhaps the most sentimental to me are the ones that John has chosen for the girls each year.  It is a special gift from him each year to his girls, and they all look forward to the tradition.  There are puffs of white tulle in various places on the tree (my attempt at simulating “snow” – actually very cute!), wonderful large ribbons of varying colors and types of ribbon – all made from bows received on ornately-wrapped gifts in the past.  Tucked in the tree in a few cozy spots are small teddy bears – remnants from a set of 12 we bought for Alexis when she was a toddler.  She insisted on using the red beaded garland, so that encircles the tree, as well as a 4′ length of cranberry garland she made this year.  With the exception of ONE – every ornament we have, I believe, is on the tree this year!  And, to top it off, they are all on the front 2/3 of the tree!  LOL….When I asked the girls if I could move a few to the back and rearrange a little – they both said, “NO!”  So, the tree remains a little “front heavy.”  Hopefully it will stand straight until Christmas!

The night our tree goes up, I always like to stay up after everyone goes to bed with the lights out and only the tree lit.  It somehow really helps to put me in the Christmas spirit.  This year was no different, and while I sat, God gave me this thought:

We (God’s children) are like Christmas trees. 

How?  Easy.  We are all different.  No two of us are exactly alike – we all come with different experiences (ornaments) and backgrounds (the tree itself).  The tree itself represents the whole of our lives, and the lights reveal His presence.  Like our individual Christmas trees are to us, we are all very special to Him, indeed. 

He sees the absolute beauty in each ornament as it adds something unique to our lives that no one else has.  He put it there!  The ornaments of our lives are used by the Lord to shape our hearts and bring us closer to Him, while showing an outward sign of what He has done for us, and can do for others.  The ornaments are one way for us to show the love of Christ.

He is the Light that illuminates our trees and shines so that the holes where ornaments are missing, or broken ornaments are placed, can be seen.  Clear or multi, the lights reveal empty spaces and magnify mistakes.  The Light of Christ reveals unrepented sin, and therefore, the lights are the most important of all the elements.

The tree itself was grown and handpicked specifically for us – God knew the exact tree:  shape, size, type, flocked or not – and He knows why that tree was chosen.  Sometimes we are disappointed in His choice of trees, but we shouldn’t be – #1 – we can’t change it.  Our past is our past and our background is what made us who we are today.  And #2, God has reasons far beyond our comprehension for choosing the background we have had.  He can and does use any circumstance for good, and for His purposes.

So, you see, your Christmas tree can remind you of more than the birth of Christ this year, although I am in no way taking that away.  I merely want to add that your Christmas tree can remind you, if you allow God to use it that way, of what He has brought you in your life.  Of what He has brought you out of in your life.  And when you look at the top of the tree – the star, the angel – let that be a reminder to know where He is taking you in your life.

I hope that after reading this, you look at your Christmas tree a little differently.  And I hope that you spend a little time in the Light of your tree, looking to the One who decorated it so beautifully.

Merry Christmas everyone.