Joy to the World

Merry Christmas everyone! And a joyous New Year, too! Yes, there is joy even when grief seems to shroud the world. Tornados. Earthquakes. Typhoons. Violence in the streets. 

Where is the joy?

I work through the sadness of the world by writing. I belong to a group of local same-minded people called, appropriately, Foothills Writers, since we live here in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We meet on Wednesdays to share tips and techniques and our latest manuscripts. We've published two anthologies of our writings. 

At each of our gatherings, we take nine minutes to write to a prompt. I enjoy this most of all because the topics are so beyond what I normally write. I feel it stretches my mind and forces me to dabble in alternate writing styles. I would never have attempted poetry were it not for this group. 

But last week we were given one topic I call a poser, a conundrum. "Pick a major problem in the world and tell how you would fix it."

I sat there dazed, and then I wrote a humorous little ditty about catching the bad guys. When we shared our writings aloud, I was amazed at the depth of their answers, sincere attempts at solving the ills of the world.

As I drove home I pondered on our discussions. Their answers seemed to make sense, so why are we still in the dark without so many solutions. Why doesn't someone step up and send help? 

Someone has. God. In Bethlehem. Two millennia ago. The people of that day were as hungry for solutions as we are now. They needed a savior. Violence. Evils. Droughts. Food shortages. Refugees (even Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt with their precious baby). 

What God sent was not what they expected. A baby. A poor family. Mother and father not married. This child couldn't be the king they longed for, or so they thought.

The more I read the wisdom Jesus spoke, the more I'm convinced this child grew up to show us the way, to point us to how to solve the problems of the world. So this year of hurt, do away with the manger and follow the grown-up Christ. Read what He had to say. It's truly revolutionary!

Here's a Christmas Card I received from my youth group back in the seventies. I found it when I was cleaning a drawer in my desk. The signatures on the inside show the love and commitment these teens had for not only me and our church, but for the baby in the manger. They grew to be outstanding citizens who followed this grown-up Christ child. Several of them have passed away. Several have grandchildren. Several are on facebook with me. Most of them went through personal trials and tribulations. All of them made me proud to say I was a part of their lives. I think God placed them in my life to show me as much as I showed them, probably more.

This Christmas season, when you wonder what about the solutions to all the ills of the world, remember that God sent a Savior for us all.

Catch of the day,

Gretchen