God With Us. Always and In Spite Of...

While we were happily celebrating our family Christmas yesterday, we intentionally shut down the computer and turned off the t.v. -- blocking out the rest of the world for the day, so we said.  And we were blissfully and entirely unaware of the horrific tragedies that took place just a few states over, with all of those children roughly the same ages of my very own.

It wasn't until ours were tucked safely away that we tuned into the madness that was swirling all around us.
And once again, we were reminded of the REAL reason for this season.
Of our need for a Savior.  And of our desperation for a Messiah to come and save us.

And while He has been a gentlemen and has quietly bowed out of whatever we have told Him that He is no longer invited to - our schools, our government, our conversations - our very lives...  Jesus, we beg You to return.  God of Heaven - come down.

We are broken.  We are in ruins.  And we so very desperately need You.
Without You, our world warps.
And without You, there will never be any peace.

When we gasp to say that God is good, and when we shake our fists and scream:  "How could You?"....
I'm pretty sure His heart is breaking too.

And when I think of all of those parents just waking up this morning - or more likely having never slept...
And all of those still made beds that were never warmed with little bodies last night...
When I think of all of the gifts that will be returned unopened and all of the Christmases that will never ever be the same...

I am once again reminded of the "why" behind that Christmas so very long ago.
Of our need for that baby to be born.

While my Mama heart breaks for all of those families...
How much more is God's Daddy-heart bleeding?
How much more does He want to woo us back to Himself....to whisper "This is not the way it was supposed to be?"

Because out of darkness - God brought the world into being.
And into darkness - God sent His Son - the Redeemer of Mankind.
And into our darkness - He WILL once again break through.
He will win.

When there is death sadness.
When hearts bleed raw.
And when it looks like all hope is lost...
God knows, and feels, and sees all that we are experiencing...and all that we are barely breathing through.

He hold us in the untamed moments, too.  He knows that we are dust.
And He is Emmanuel - God with us.
He wears our grief as His own.  And He will come to fill the darkness.
Because this is where God is...