Living Between "Already" and "Not Yet"

For me, this Christmas season, full of festivities and celebrations, is always laced with a tinge of sadness. First of all, I remember 20 years ago (I can't believe it's been 20 years!), my brother-in-law John, went to heaven. As a teenager at the time, it was my first experience with real tragedy and caused me to question God and everything I'd believed. Through this process, Christ revealed Himself to me in a very real way and my faith has been deepened as I come to understand the reality of the HOPE we have in Jesus Christ... a sure and certain hope of the life eternal He won for us through His life, death, resurrection & ascension. I can celebrate knowing that John, and his grandson, Caleb --and other loved ones that are in Christ and have gone on ahead--are alive and well and celebrating with Jesus Himself this Christmas. I can celebrate because I know one day (please come soon Jesus!) we will all be reunited and communing face to face with our Savior. I rejoice because this tiny baby we celebrate at Christmas gave His live for me so that I can have victory, hope, and life forever with Him.

And yet, this world (as you well know) is full of pain, tragedy, sadness all around us. Although Christ has come as our Redeemer, we still await the day He comes again and overcomes evil and Satan for good. A day where there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more crying, no more death. Romans 8:23 (New International Version): "Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."

So we wait. That's what Advent is all about. And we live in the tension between the "already" and the "not yet." And I pray Christ can be experienced in a very real way, and His name lifted High by all His children everywhere this Christmas time and always!