The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:“…the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.” Matthew 4:13-16

What has impressed on me more than anything this Christmas is the link between Scriptural prophecy on the coming of Christ and the fulfillment recorded in the gospels. I mean I KNEW about it and I BELIEVED it. But this year it’s really jumping off the pages for me.

God said Jesus was coming. People wrote it down. Everything He said would happen, did happen. People wrote it down. And the pages survived and flourished in translation for thousands of years. This is unequivocal reliability.

We will all most likely spend the next twenty-four hours or so in various kinds of traditional Christmas activities or preparing for said activities. And we will feel joy, nostalgia, sentiment, perhaps great sadness. But, to me, none of this comes close to the soul-bending awe that results when I think about the dawning of a Light that has reached down, in great hope, to our helpless state of darkness.

Even on a day sometimes referred to as the Festival of Lights, we can experience that dimmest kind of murkiness, simply resulting from our imperfect existence. May you know and see and feel and believe that which darkness CANNOT prevent from breaking through.

To me, Christmas is a beautiful reminder and celebration of the dawning time.

My sincere gratitude for your prayers and support as we continue to journey with childhood cancer. Justin and the boys enjoyed decorating cookies last night. Grace be with you, my friends.