Pictures of Christmas: Warmth in the Cold

When I was a fresh-faced kid in our local Boy Scout troop, my first camp-out came in early December. The leaders told us to "be prepared," so to me, that meant wearing a coat, bringing gloves, and buying the cheapest sleeping bag I could find. What a mistake!

        

That weekend's weather turned freezing, with a light covering of snow on top. I was freezing and found comfort only when standing beside the campfire. I couldn't wait to go to bed, knowing I would be warm and cozy in my new sleeping bag.

 

Much to my surprise, my new bag was not warm at all! It felt all warm and fuzzy at home on my bed, but it was worthless that first cold night in the tent! I literally shivered all night, and before the night was over, I had put all my clothes back on, including my coal. I was miserable, a bit afraid, and missed by Mom and Dad!

 

The next night was better: I borrowed a couple of blankets from a friend who had brought extras, put on extra socks, filled my pillowcase with rocks, and heated it in the campfire. I was much warmer that night and slept well. The warmth had made all the difference in the world!

There is a story in the Bible of a young couple who had an experience similar to how they felt. Mary and Joseph were engaged and had to make a trip to Bethlehem to take part in the government-mandated census. The night air in the desert was chilly; they were apart from their family and were afraid, as Mary was due to have her first child. They spent their nights in a stable with some animals, as all the rentals were full. Joseph did his best to comfort Mary and keep her comfortable and may have been able to build a small for warmth. It was a challenging situation! However, God worked to change things and comfort them during the night.

 

Mary had her baby, the baby Jesus, and the light and warmth of God's presence gave them peace and comfort. By morning, Mary was snuggled in bed with her new baby, the Christ-Child, and Joseph was thankful that God had blessed them as He had. They were in a cold place and afraid, but they had hope – they had made it through the night, their son was born, and he and his mother were healthy, and they both realized – despite the cold and darkness of the world, God had given them warmth and comfort, and hope for the future.

 

The story of the birth of Jesus is more than just a story of a child's birth, of course; it can also serve as a sort of 'parable' of our experiences on this earth. No matter how hard we try, we can find ourselves in difficult situations, feeling cold and even slightly afraid. These circumstances can come because of mistakes or choices on our part or someone else's actions; even a simple accident can affect us!

 

But, when we turn to God in prayer and trust Him to get us through, He has a way of giving us guidance and direction; sometimes, He even works to change the situation and encourage us somehow! When He does this, we can feel the warmth of his presence and experience His power at work in our lives. And, just like Joseph and Mary, we can gain a new perspective on our lives based on God's gracious and loving acts in our lives.

 

This Christmas, if you find yourself struggling with something and feeling alone in what can be a very cold world, turn to God and invite Him to work. He will be there for you and give you hope!

 

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