The Revealing before the Healing

Merry Christmas Eve...or morning!  It has been a wonderfully full day!

Started with some last minute present wrapping...a trip into the depths of insanity that is grocery shopping on Christmas Eve.

Mom, Emily and I attended a beautiful Christmas Eve service complete with beautiful music, a meaningful message and even a little snow...man made of course. 

Given how challenging this Christmas season has been...we opted out of cooking and had a lovely dinner out! 

Mom and I gave Emily her presents...and I gave my "girls" a weekend getaway trip to San Antonio...we leave Friday!

As great as the gifts, meal and laughs were...just being with my loved ones was gift enough.

As I listened to the sermon tonight...the minister (Kerry Shook) said something that really hit home for me. 

In my own interpretation, this is what I got:

We celebrate the birth of Christ today...the introduction of The Light Of the World.   Through that Light, God shines on those dark moments in our life...He provides us with the Light we need to see outside of those shadowy, painful moments that break our hearts and our spirits at times.

He said something that I really loved and felt like I fully identified with...He said that when God shines this Light on our lives that it can be uncomfortable....when that Light shines on the shadows...The Light can be revealing before it is healing.

WOW...this so fits for me.  The Journey is about stepping out of the darkness and into the Light. The healing only comes AFTER the revealing.

My Journey is about revealing ALL those things that keep me sick, tired and overwhelmed...and HEALING my body,  my heart and my spirit....but the revealing comes BEFORE the healing...and the healing WILL come.  Both are born out of the Birth we celebrate tonight...the birth of Jesus Christ.

I hope this Christmas we are ALL healed by the Light of the World!

Merry CHRISTMAS!!!!