BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is his name.” - Luke 1:47-49 NIV
What Does "Merry" Mean?
By Meg Bucher
Merry is festively joyous! It’s a cheerful disposition; laughing happily. (dictionary.com) Merry is the uninhibited joy released by God’s grace, and freedom flowing out of His forgiveness. It’s the boisterous laughter seeping past exhaustion, and the confetti of cares launched free in celebration of the Light of life.
Queen Elizabeth II was said to prefer “Happy Christmas” at a time when merry meant intoxicated. (Wikipedia) The Queen was onto something …Christmas exudes intoxicating happiness. Te verses of the famed “Magnificat” hymn in the Gospel of Luke capture Mary overflowing with heartfelt praise and awe of God.
Mary’s miraculous virgin birth was not the first or last life the Father’s hand has miraculously moved. God’s response to our sinful tendency was to forge a path to forgive us. God loves us for who we are …not who we search to be. His compassionate love was expressed through Christ’s choice to endure humanity, all-knowing“Merry Christmas” would eventually become an intolerable offense to some. Jesus was born to restore our standing with His Father.
Now that the danger of touching the hot stove has passed as my kids grow older, I can begin to back down the maternal scream for safety in exchange for a listening ear and an understanding heart. One un-offended by my daughters’ struggle to find themselves in this world; which recognizes their plight and looks for moments to remind them Whose they are.
Everlasting life for trusting Jesus with ours. That’s a birthday worth celebrating in merry jubilee.
Christmas is akin to swishing down a fresh powdery slope on a wooden sled, blinded by stinging snow as we speed past our comfort zones! Without the opportunity to have the relationship with God that Christmas grants us, we’d be doomed to watch the sled zip by, never quick enough or smart enough or agile enough to catch it. Jesus holds the sled while we hop on, and then joins in as we scream with glee all the way down the sometimes terrifying hill of life.
Merry Christmas.
It’s intoxicating …Jesus being born to save the world.
It’s merry …God and His love for us.
It’s endearing and inspiring to be forgiven beyond what we deserve.
The opportunity we have to journey through life in closeness with our Creator is pure joy.
Be merry! Shout with joy! Laugh happily! Embrace who YOU are …right now! Have FUN in this life, with your Savior by your side.
Meg Bucher writes about everyday life within the love of Christ on her blog, https://sunnyand80.org. She is a stay-at-home mom, freelance writer, blogger, and author of “Friends with Everyone …Friendship Within the Love of Christ.” She resides in Northern Ohio with her husband of eleven years, two daughters, and their Golden-doodle.
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