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We view the Bible as our daily problem solver.
We turn to the Bible for inspiration, insight,
comfort, guidance, and answers to troubling challenges
in our world.
Two King
Christmas
When it seems the whole world is singing "Joy
to the World," there are those whose hearts
are aching. Many years ago, I heard a sermon sensitively
preached which I think of every year as Christmas
approaches. The man told of a children's Christmas
program, in which only two kings showed-up because
the third had chicken pox. There had been some
brief panic and hurried deliberation as to whether
or not the two kings should be used at all; then
it was decided that they would go on, but changed
the words to the song they were singing:
"We two kings of Orient are
bearing
gifts we traverse afar......"
The speaker went on to talk about how most of
us, at one time or another, have a "Two King
Christmas." That is to say, we come into
the holiday time with something missing. There
has been a loss, an interruption, a crisis, which
has left us feeling incomplete. There's an empty
space. Perhaps a dear loved one has passed away
during the year; perhaps we have lost the ability
to drive a car; maybe we've experienced financial
crises; or a close friend or family member has
moved away. Many situations can bring on a two-king
Christmas.
The thing is, we don't just stop everything,
crawl into a hole, and stay sad; we go on. We
"change the words to the song," just
like the two little kings in the Christmas program.
A two-king Christmas is okay if that's what we've
got!
We need to remember that the King of Kings is
still the KING OF KINGS. He was born in a manger
in Bethlehem. The angels heralded our savior's
arrival in that humble setting.
No matter what we have lost this year, each of
us has a wealth of blessings from the Lord. Let's
take notice of them and focus our attention on
what we have. Even if we're alone, we're not really
alone. Christ Jesus, God's wonderful Christmas
gift to us all, is as near as our breath. He wants
to surround us with His peace. In John 14:27 we
read these words of Jesus: "Peace I leave
with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not
be afraid."
So, let's all have the very best Christmas we
can, with however many
kings we have in our lives. We are a blessed people.
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