The following is an excerpt from the book I’ll be publishing in a few months.  I wanted to take this time to share these thoughts and to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.

 

Begin Again

 

 

There is an old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”  The Christmas festivities and practices have changed through the years, but the reality of what began in Bethlehem has not.  I started kicking around the idea for a poem that communicates that truth a long time ago.  For some reason, it just wouldn’t come together.  So that idea lay dormant until the Christmas of 2007.

 

As a family, we were going through a time of great challenge.  I won’t try to put a pretty face on it.  Put bluntly, we had burned out in the church.  As happens most of the time, when we got away from the fellowship of God’s people our fellowship with God suffered as well.  We began to act like those who don’t know Him.  It was sad.  But, just like The Prodigal Son, when we came to ourselves, we found the Father running to meet us.  He led us to the fellowship of a wonderful group of believers who loved us and welcomed us back home.

 

It hadn’t been but a few months when, as Christmas approached, I picked up some of my old unfinished ideas and began to tinker around.  I remember prayerfully thinking, “God, let this tell our story along with the reality of your love.”

 

It didn’t take but a few hours for “No Ordinary Child” to come together.  I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

No Ordinary Child

 

A child was born seems long ago,

Now turned to tinsel, glitter and gold.

 

Glad tidings announced, a star so bright,

Now turned to packages, commerce and lights.

 

See shepherds and wise men, all bowing low,

Now turned to revelry, bustle and glow.

 

Oh, endless praise, He stayed not a babe,

Now turned to great victory over the grave.

 

A certain companion of sin, hell and death,

Now turned to hope, a haven and rest.

 

No longer mired in a hopeless estate,

Now turned to mercy and glorious grace.