Thursday, December 20, 2012

Small But Mighty!

Peek a boo!  That's my sweet little dog, Skyler, peeking out from under the Christmas tree.  It's his favorite spot this time of year.  Yes, he is still with us and feisty as ever.  Some days, you would never know that he is a sick little guy, because he romps and plays like a puppy.  Hard to believe that it's been three years since he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, COPD and a collapsing trachea.  They told us he wouldn't survive more than a couple of months, and look at him now!  The couple of months have since come and gone and he is our little miracle pooch, my little buddy and absolutely spoiled rotten.  I give God all of the credit for this sweet little dog.  He's a wonderful little companion and has brought so much joy to us.

Those big eyes of his are so piercing, and sometimes, I wish I knew what was going on in his little head.  There's no telling.  From spiteful and irritating to sweet and loving, he is pretty opinionated for his size and routinely reminds us that he is still here.  All we have to do is look down.

Recently, I moved his basket of toys into a corner in our bedroom.  He was not happy about this transition and each day, one by one, he would retrieve his favorite bobos and other squeaky toys and put them back in the living room.  I really think that if he could have figured out a way to drag the basket back, he would have done that as well.  Every night, I would pick up all of the toys and put them back in the basket in our bedroom.  The next day, he would again tote them to the living room, one by one.  After a couple of weeks of this routine, I caved in and put the basket back in the living room.  He won!  Small but mighty and one very determined little guy...

Remember when your children were tiny, laying there in your arms, gazing up at you with those big, trusting eyes.  You held them close as you tenderly rocked them to sleep.  Those big trusting eyes fluttered until they gradually closed and they were peacefully sleeping in the caress of your loving arms.  There's nothing like rocking a sweet baby as they sleep.  It is one of the most peaceful moments.  Little ones are so pure and innocent.  The unspoken bond of love between and mother and her baby is so beautiful.  Then, with little or no warning, the silence is broken by the cries of an infant that "needs" something.  Small but mighty and very determined...

Those sweet little babies grow up with their own personalities and ambitions, and before you know it, your lap is too small and your house seems so empty.

Christmas is just a few days away.  We are all caught up in shopping and cooking.  It's what we do year after year.  We celebrate God's greatest gift to us by remembering someone else and spending time with family and friends.  On the first Christmas, I can't help but think of how Mary must have felt as she and Joseph made their journey.  I can't even imagine how fearfully desperate she must have been knowing that she would soon give birth in a stable, a dirty, smelly barn, surrounded by livestock.  There were no personalized baby quilts or disposable diapers, no cute little caps, or booties with teddy bears.  Mary wasn't registered for baby gifts at the local department store.  No one threw her a baby shower.  Not a crib or high chair in sight.  God brought His Son into this world of ours under very simple, humble circumstances. Instead, straw became bedding and an old feed trough became the bed.  Ragged cloth, became the newborn outfit for the King of Kings, the Son of God, sweet baby Jesus.

Word spread so quickly about this newborn baby.  As he slept blissfully in His bed, people came from everywhere to see Him, bringing Him gifts, standing in awe of Him, this tiny baby, surrounded by angelic songs and Heaven's light was here to change the world and our lives forever.  Did the visitors know that one day, as a grown man, He would lovingly give His own life for all of us?  Did they know then the pain and torture that He would endure as He hung from the cross gasping for His last breath?  Did they know that as they stood gazing at this beautiful baby boy, that they were truly looking into the eyes of God?

Sweetly slumbering in an old feed trough, in a drafty old barn, this tiny baby was already showing everyone that He was small but mighty.

We take so many things for granted, not just this time of year, but every day.  We lead our own lives.  We do our own thing.  We get wrapped up in everything going on around us.  There are toy drives and food collections.  There are events that leave us speechless and our nerves raw, our hearts broken.  We have sickness and job loss and money woes.  Some people blame their problems on God, but what we need to remember is that He never promised us that there wouldn't be any of these things on Earth, but that He would be by our sides while we went through them.  What He did promise us, came to be because of the small but mighty baby who is the real reason for Christmas.  What He did promise was forgiveness and redemption, and eternal life with Him in Heaven.  There and only there, would we have perfection.

So, as you tackle the end of your shopping, wrap up your gifts, bake those famous cookies and get ready to share Christmas with family and friends, remember that everything good for us is a prayer away and it's all because of one small but mighty baby boy.  The King of Kings, born to humble beginnings celebrates His birthday on December 25th. Two thousand and twelve birthdays later, He is still the King of Kings, our Savior and Redeemer.  Happy birthday, Jesus!

Merry Christmas.  I hope that each and every one of you is truly blessed this Christmas and the small but mighty baby boy is your reason for this season...

God bless,
K