Restore Issue 08: December 2022

from my heart to yours

Can you believe the Christmas season is upon us?

I love buying gifts for family and friends, not just at Christmas. I enjoy shopping and finding a special something for the special people in my life.

I think of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and others this time of year is some grace. A whole lot of grace.

Instead of stressing out by all that’s on my calendar and to do list this month, I am choosing grace. I’ve decided not to get mad or frustrated at myself for the many loose ends I have yet to tie. Instead, I’m going to trust that most things will get done. They may not all get done on the timeline I originally wanted and if they don’t, oh well! I’m just going to do my best with the time and energy I have. I try to remember that Jesus wouldn’t want us to be frustrated and stressed as we prepare to celebrate His birthday. Gifting myself grace honors Him.

I realize that I also need to give grace to others during this busy time of year: to my child who keeps unraveling the roll of packing tape, to the people waiting in line with me at the myriad of places I will go in the next week. I will gift grace.

Let’s slow down for a moment, take a deep breath and remember God’s grace to us so that we are able to gift it to others this Christmas season. Will you join me?

Praying that you and yours have a very Merry Christmas!

xoxo,

"For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself." A Christmas Carol

Light for the Darkness

“And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.”

– Isaiah 42:16

When Jesus came to earth as a baby, the world seemed very dark and heavy for the nation of Israel. They had experienced 400 years of silence from God. Four hundred years. Generations came and went. No prophets spoke. They were no more mountaintop, holy moments with God as in former days. Only silence.

In the meantime, the Roman empire rose to rule the world. Rome oppressed its citizens with edicts from the emperor, heavy taxes, and a forceful military presence. The people of Israel longed for a savior during these dark days and wondered if God had forgotten them.

Have you ever felt that way? You pray and nothing changes. Your circumstances look so bleak that you can’t imagine how God could break through the darkness. The road ahead seems so rocky that you wonder how the path could ever possibly smooth.

During such a season in my life, I found today’s verse in Isaiah, and it changed me. It didn’t change my circumstances, but it changed my perspective about them and about God.

The book of Isaiah, written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, tells us so much about Him and about God’s love for His people. We read about God’s character and heart and how He promises to always care for His people, even when He guides us to and through hard things.

Isaiah 42:16 tells us that although we may face the unfamiliar, the dark, and the rocky, God never leaves us. His guidance, presence, and light will always be with us. He promises that we will experience Him in the challenging paths of life.

In Isaiah 7:14, God says Jesus will be called Immanuel, God with us. God sent Jesus to be near to us, to be with us through every season and circumstance.

God intentionally chose the exact circumstances and timing for Jesus to be born into. He knew the world was chaotic. He knew His people were desperate for relief. He knew the time was right to send His Light for the people.

If you find yourself in a sweet season today, remember how God has been with you in a challenging season. If you are in a season of heaviness, never give up hope. When the world seems darkest, God’s light shines brightest. He is leading you and walking with you. He is always working behind the scenes and His timing is always perfect.

Lord, thank you for reminding us that you sent Jesus into the world to be the light. No matter how dark our circumstances seem or how unfamiliar they feel, you are with us. You guide us, you lead us, and you are making our paths smooth. Thank you for never forsaking us.

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Recent Episodes

The last episodes of 2022 are all from Restore: Soul Care for Moms that I held back in June at Rock Point Church. I thought the messages were quite timely for us as we are in full swing of the holidays and have a lot on our plates.

Tune in here or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Did you know?

I'm looking for churches to partner with for Restore: Soul Care for Moms in 2023. I can bring the event to you at almost no cost to your church! If you're interested, please email me at andrea@andreafortenberry.com.