Photo by Mark Mabry (http://www.reflectionsofchrist.org/index.php)
Copyright © 2012 Reflections of Christ. All rights reserved.
I have my parents and sisters to thank for my first feelings of the reality of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
As a child praying with my family, worshipping with my family, sharing experiences with my family I had great confidence in God.
I assumed everyone felt the same way that I did and that I would always feel the same way--complete faith in the presence of God in my life.
As a child I was so happy for the baby Jesus to be born. Not just because His birth celebration meant gifts but because His birth celebration legitimized my birth and existence. That there was rejoicing by heavenly hosts, visits from shepherds and recognition from wise and wealthy men seemed very real and genuine to me because I felt loved like he did too. I thought everyone's birth was an exuberant celebration of expectation and excitement, because I felt so much love in my family.
These are significant thoughts and feelings for a child, but they were very real for me. Until I became an adult, I didn't know how important they were.
Now that I am an adult, I realize that in many ways I knew much more about what was important then than I do now. Sometimes I forget the importance of my childhood lessons, but at Christmas I remember that except I become as a little child, I will not enter the kingdom of heaven. I remember the power of childlike faith, childlike hope, and childlike love and I feel good again.
As an adult I know that "...His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary." I know His grace is real, His love is redeeming, His mercy is welcome, His priesthood is powerful, and His suffering is meaningful.
At Christmas, I remember my life as a child feeling great love for His birth. On the eve, of the birth of a new child in our family, I hope and pray this child and every child will feel His love as I felt it as a child.
- Doug
As a child praying with my family, worshipping with my family, sharing experiences with my family I had great confidence in God.
I assumed everyone felt the same way that I did and that I would always feel the same way--complete faith in the presence of God in my life.
As a child I was so happy for the baby Jesus to be born. Not just because His birth celebration meant gifts but because His birth celebration legitimized my birth and existence. That there was rejoicing by heavenly hosts, visits from shepherds and recognition from wise and wealthy men seemed very real and genuine to me because I felt loved like he did too. I thought everyone's birth was an exuberant celebration of expectation and excitement, because I felt so much love in my family.
These are significant thoughts and feelings for a child, but they were very real for me. Until I became an adult, I didn't know how important they were.
Now that I am an adult, I realize that in many ways I knew much more about what was important then than I do now. Sometimes I forget the importance of my childhood lessons, but at Christmas I remember that except I become as a little child, I will not enter the kingdom of heaven. I remember the power of childlike faith, childlike hope, and childlike love and I feel good again.
As an adult I know that "...His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary." I know His grace is real, His love is redeeming, His mercy is welcome, His priesthood is powerful, and His suffering is meaningful.
At Christmas, I remember my life as a child feeling great love for His birth. On the eve, of the birth of a new child in our family, I hope and pray this child and every child will feel His love as I felt it as a child.
- Doug
Note: The postings from "The 25 Days of Christ" are thoughts shared by guest posters and may not directly reflect the perspective of the blog's main author, Cocoshirley. Any pictures added have been added by Cocoshirley and not by the guest author.
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