Tidings of Comfort & Joy

I love singing Christmas carols.

Even this Christmas (or, maybe, especially this Christmas) as I grieve the unexpected loss of my dad a month ago, continue to grieve the loss of my little bro from last year, AND work through the loss of relationships in a church family, I find the words, truth...and sound theology within those carols fantastic reminders to my hurting heart of God's ultimate message for Christmas. 

The message of hope. Of joy. Of promises. Of truth. 

And of the right now that points to the some day. 

Singing those carols have been good for my heart because they've pulled my mind from the temptation to spend too much time focusing on what I've lost and reordered my thoughts in a heavenly direction. They've helped remind me of the bigger Story and broadness of God's great plan. and they've comforted me with the knowledge of God's purposes, sovereignty, and ultimate love. 

Because, Christmas can be really hard when we have empty chairs at the table and/or broken relationships. And grieving is normal and healthy and one of the sad "curses" of this life. But, the beauty in the brokenness is that...THIS is not the end of the story. Just as the cross wasn't the end of the story.

As Christians, we know a secret as "magical" and wonderful as the shepherds' message those many nights ago and it's displayed in the carol, Joy to the World. This "secret" helps us find hope in the present as we wait for the "some day". 

I'm highlighting this verse from Joy to the World:

No more let sins and sorrows grow

nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make his blessings flow

far as the curse is found, 

far as the curse is found,

far as, far as, the curse is found. 

Why can there still be joy and singing and celebration of Christmas, even as we grief the losses?

Because, the true ending of the story is a joyful one. The "curse" that brought death and broken relationships and shattered hearts and longing souls has been taken away. Because of Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection, "his blessings flow" throughout all of the world to restore what was "destroyed". His coming made death temporary, gave the broken hearted hope for restoration, and offered the longing soul a sure, beautiful, and eternal place of belonging.

This chapter of our stories may be hard and sad and heartbreaking, but it is only a chapter. As we keep moving forward in the next parts of the book that God is writing of our lives (and the lives of others), we can turn the page with hope knowing the end of the story. We can celebrate the happily-ever-after where God's presence and our loved ones presence will all be joined together forever because of a little baby born in a stable over 2000 years ago. 

What a story! What a hope!

I'll leave you with this lovely quote from C.S. Lewis from the final Narnia book, The Last Battle:

What is one of your favorite Christmas carols? How do the words to that carol comfort you or bring you joy?

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Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is a wife, mom to five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Her novel, Hope Between the Pages, was a finalist for the prestigious Christy award. Pepper loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook &
Instagram.

You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com