Love.

I want to take a few minutes to say “Merry Christmas” to all of you.  I pray that you are able to spend time this week with loved ones.  I pray you have the opportunity to rest and refresh before jumping into 2014.

Most importantly, I pray that in the hustle and bustle of going from celebration to celebration, you take time to pause and reflect on the real reason we celebrate Christmas.  It’s “love.”  God’s love for us that He sent His Son with the sole purpose of dying so that we could be joined with Him in Heaven someday.  Love.  He loves us so much He didn’t create us to be robots, but instead gave us the ability to choose.  Separation from Him by choosing our own path or submission to Him by choosing the Only way, His way. Even if we think we aren’t choosing – that’s still a choice.  Love.  Just like with earthly parents, God wants the very best for us and sometimes in order to get the very best, we need to learn a few lessons along the way.  Any parent realizes that giving our children everything they want isn’t healthy or good for them.  While we hate to see our kids hurt, we realize sometimes growing up requires a few bumps and bruises.  Just as we don’t turn our backs on our kids while they learn the lessons necessary for growth, God doesn’t turn His back on us either.  He’s right there with His children the whole time, protecting us while allowing the lessons to be learned.

Love…Everything God does centers around how much He loves His children.  And, we are all His children.

Merry Christmas, Friends.  I pray if you haven’t experienced God’s love for yourself, 2014 will be the year you will.  He won’t force Himself on you…But He’s waiting.

(I’d be happy to have a one-on-one conversation with anyone who wants to – clSwalwell99@gmail.com.)