The cold...and Christmas!

        "Baby, it's coooooold outside!"
        Can I just say that I am not terribly fond of the cold...correction, I despise the cold.  Gee whiz, winter's just plain tough, don't you think?  No wonder Dave Barry said that "The problem with winter sports is that — follow me closely here — they generally take place in winter."  Amen to that one.
         But oh my, we're to be thankful in all things (I Thess.5:18),  and I don't recall any biblical exceptions for frigid temps, so here goes--
       Thank You, Lord that: 1)winter doesn't last forever;  2) You sovereignly chose to place my family below the Mason-Dixon line;  3) bracing frigid air certainly wakes us up and gives our cheeks a rosy glow; 4) Mr. Bingley loves freezing weather;  5) there are lots of wonderful things that accompany cold weather, such as, hmm, roaring fires, hot chocolate, cozy thick sweaters, super hot baths at night (ahhhh), steaming mugs of tea, skiing (if you don't mind freezing your tail off), snow days (if you don't mind endlessly cleaning up the kitchen and running the dryer with wet gloves and socks 24-7)...oh golly I'm clearly going downhill and running out of ideas for winter gratitude...
        BUT NO!  There's the greatest, most glorious reason for cold weather rejoicing: celebrating CHRISTMAS!
       So in case you need a little thankfulness booster, or even a complete attitude transformation, on a cold, gray day, here are some words from Tim Keller's wonderful little book, Hidden Christmas that rocked my world: 
       "In Jesus the ineffable, unapproachable God becomes a human being who can be known and loved.  And, through faith, we can know this love.  This does not stun us as much as it should.  Look at the Old Testament.  Anytime anyone drew near to God it was completely terrifying.  God appears to Abraham as a smoking furnace, to Israel as a pillar of fire, to Job as a hurricane or tornado.  When Moses asked to see the face of God, he was told it would kill him, that at best he could only get near God's outskirts, his 'back' (Ex.33:18-23)...
        Can you imagine, then, if Moses were present today, and he were to hear the message of Christmas, namely that 'the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son' (John 1:14)?  Moses would cry out, 'Do you realize what this means?  This is the very thing I was denied!  This means that through Jesus Christ you can meet God.  You can know Him personally and without terror.  He can come into your life. Do you realize that's going on?  Where's your joy?  Where's your amazement?  This should be the driving force of your life!'"  Amen, amen, amen!
       Forgive us, forgive me, Father, for how prone we are to take this astounding, destiny-altering, joy-overflowing Truth for granted!  You--the almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, ineffable, eternal Lord of Lords and King of Kings--came to earth so that we might know You personally and experience Your infinite love and boundless grace through the God-Man Christ Jesus.  The Almighty Lord in a manger.  Hallelujah!!
      Lord, please give us fresh eyes and renewed hearts this Christmas season so that we're not just amazed, but super-abundantly filled to overflowing with wonder, praise, joy, and hope.  No matter what's going on in our lives and in our world, You came and You are here!  Immanuel--God with us, God before us, God behind us, God beside us, God for us, God in us.  
       Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus!  Might we live this day in the happy and certain hope, peace, joy, and astonishment at Your wondrous and eternal presence with us.
      Cold weather?  Ha, bring it on!  We're celebrating Jesus--the Light of the world--and there's no light and warmth and wonder like Him.  To God be the glory, glory, glory!