December 25 Christmas Card 2020

Friday:  This is what my Christmas card turned out to be this year. I worked on it for about two weeks, trying to find just the right Christmas carol to use in such an "upside-down" year. I had noted "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" many years ago, especially the solemn lyrics, and wondered when I would design a card around it. Verse three seemed SO appropriate for the difficult weeks and months we have lived through ...

Verse 3:  And ye, beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low,

Who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow,

Look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing;

O rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing.

So the theme of the card was that life is hard, sometimes it feels TOO hard ... but Jesus came the first time to save us from the darkness of our sin--and if He came the first time, He will most surely come the second time--so I put verse 4 on the inside of the card (top flap). I imagined hearing the hosts of angels singing "Glory to God in the highest heaven!" that night so long ago and anticipated what it will be like some day when He returns in all of His glory.

I was led to the verse in Hebrews 1.6 many years ago when I read the lyrics to this carol and I wrote it down in the notebook I keep for future cards ... "when He presented His HONORED SON to the world, God said: 'Let all the angels of God worship him!'" Isn't that beautiful? I never really thought of it that way before--God presenting Jesus to the world--but He did on that night so long ago when angels anounced His coming. I sure pray His second coming will be very soon, don't you?

This is the back of the card where I try to explain it a bit ... I love this bridge ... I love Fallasburg Park ... I love the beauty of winter.

I mailed out this card to over 70 on my Christmas list--mostly family and close friends ... I have always loved Christmas cards!

I received many lovely Christmas cards and Christmas letters this year. I have hardly had time to sit down and read them--but I plan to do it one of these quiet nights soon ...

Thank you, Jesus, for coming to us and making it possible for us to be part of Your family. Thank you for this beautiful season of Christmas!