As I prayed this morning about what I should write as my last post of the year, I was thinking about how the time between Christmas and New Year’s seems to be a waiting time –waiting for Christmas to be over, waiting for New Year’s Day, waiting for one year to be over and the next year to begin. I almost felt like I was in “pause” mode.
Since we celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas we still have our decorations up. This year they’ve only been up a little more than a week because we were running so far behind. We are making preparations for New Year’s celebrations, and our daughter’s birthday which is on the 5th of January – yet there is this distinct sense of waiting.
I asked the Lord to show me how to express this to you. When I returned to my computer I found an article in my inbox that seemed to express exactly what I was feeling, so I’ve decided to share it with you and hopefully introduce you to a fellow author and follower of Jesus who also senses this waiting time.
The article is by Ava Pennington, secretary of CAN – Christian Authors Network.
She starts her article with: “The week between Christmas and New Year is a time between times. The build up to Christmas is over. The new year has yet to begin. Anticipation gives way to fatigue. The Christmas decorations seem to have outlasted their welcome, but I’m not ready to take them down yet. And as much as I love Christmas hymns and carols, they seem anticlimactic.
But one Christmas hymn in particular speaks to the writer in me this week.
“O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”
Her words, “A time between times” really gave voice to my feelings and the words of this old hymn really express the hopes and dreams of the season. Here are the other verses. I know its familiar, but take time to read them and allow the Holy Spirit to quicken the words in your heart.
“How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.”
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!”
Emmanuel – God with us! What a way to end one year and begin the next.
I know I said we would have a drawing for a piece of jewelry from Gilded Gears last week, but it just hasn’t happened. Sorry. I will put this together and we will have a fantastic giveaway to start the new year.
Finding Joy in the Journey,
Phyllis
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Phyllis Sather
Proclaiming God’s Faithfulness at: http://www.Phyllis-Sather.com
© 2011 Phyllis Sather
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2 Comments
Phyllis
Thanks for sharing Susan. They are indeed met in Christ every night.
Susan McCurdy
One of my favorite carols. I have often thought of that phrase “the hope and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” They are met in Christ every night. I enjoyed reading your shared thoughts on the “in-between” week. I know my past and know God was there ….and the only thing I know about the future is … God is there!