Isaiah 9:1-2, &6
"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress....The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..."
One of the most eye opening times in my life was the year and a half that I lived in the heart of New York City! I loved being in the city. There are so many things going on all at once that it becomes an overload for the senses! At first my greatest concern was just to figure out where I was on any given street that I would find myself. So many cars pass by and the noise of the people and construction and busyness just overtakes you. If you are anything like me, you love it!
One of the things I found in the rush of it all was how easy it is to be in the middle of a crowd and yet actually "see" no one! It is so easy to become distracted and stimulated by "white noise" that you forget to look in the eyes of the hundreds of people that pass you by every day. As I was reading this passage in Isaiah 9 this morning and thinking of Christmas, something stood up on the inside of me. This is the time of year where we become so heavily absorbed in the "activity" of Christmas that we can easily miss the humanity that is passing by us every day, no matter where we live!
Statistically, suicide rates are at an all time high during the Christmas season because more than ever people are aware of whether or not they actually have a place to belong during such a family oriented time in the year. People you may think you know well and "look" okay, could be desperate on the inside. With the rise of social media (which is not in itself a bad thing) and people's dependency on posting the life they want people to think they have, there is a loss of real eye contact and human touch when it comes to knowing how people really are.
This scripture in Isaiah is an announcement! God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to prophecy (or declare) to the world that there was to be no more gloom, that HOPE would come to the world. He went on to say that those who once walked around in deep darkness would SEE the light of Jesus.
If there was ever a time to stay engaged in the world around you, it would be now. Over these next few weeks, we will all just be getting busier as we get closer to Christmas and the tendency will be to become self absorbed. May I lovingly encourage you the way I have been so greatly encouraged today myself by God, to pay attention and ask questions. Ask the grocery store clerk how they are and thank them for helping you, ask them about their family. Ask an older person how they are and what their plans will be for Christmas. Check on your neighbors... Go the extra mile. Pay attention to people at work. You never know what someone could be carrying. One thing is for sure, if you know Jesus then YOU are carrying HOPE inside you that someone desperately needs today.
Be a part of sharing Jesus and carrying the great gift of His love into the life of someone who needs to know that they are not alone this Christmas. Throw out the lifelines....
