What Christmas Means To Me- The Night Divine

This year with Christmas quickly approaching, and I in the Christmas spirit at long last, asked my husband if he had a favorite Christmas carol. To no surprise, I heard his usual, "You know I don't like Christmas music spiel" and realized he wasn't going to erupt into a chorus of Jingle Bells with me anytime soon. But I, still curious, and still in high Christmas spirit, asked a few others. After varying responses I came to the understanding that what I was asking was a more difficult question that I had anticipated. With so many choices, I might as well had asked someone 'what was their favorite food' or 'which band did they prefer'. For what ever reason (whether it be boredom, attention deficits, etc.)I spend a great amount of time thinking about things like this, and I have thought a lot about this particular question.
I can say, without a doubt, that my favorite Christmas carol is "O Holy Night". It's composition is delicate, yet powerful, and it is as deep as it is beautiful. I love it. I wish that I had a great singing voice (hey, I'd even take a mediocre one) so that I could belt this one out(Sometimes I do anyway, when no one is around). To me, the lyrics sum up what Christmas is all about: HOPE.
Here are the words:
O HOLY NIGHT
written by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure
Composed by Adolphe Charles Adams

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

I love the distinctness of each verse and the messages they carry respectively.
The first verse describes the sorrows of the world and it's longing for a savior, and the joy when at long last He arrives! His birth means life, light, and worth for our souls. We rejoice because we no longer have to live in our darkness and shame! We now have the joy of "a new and glorious morn" no matter where we were before.

The second verse tells of the relationship between the world and it's Savior. He is our humble King, who is our friend in all things, yet he is holy, and worthy of our praise.

And finally, the third verse. (my favorite) This verse reminds us of our purpose. This is why he died for us and what he wants us to do as we live for him. To love one another as he loves us and as we love him. "His law is love, and his gospel is peace". I think we forget that more than anything else. Christmas is about putting away the weapons we pick up against each other all the time. It means forgiving those who cross us, and uniting in His love that is big enough to swallow us all up!

I hope this song's message of hope and beauty touches your heart in some small way (even if you do hate Christmas music!), because I just looove it :)

Anyway, there is my two cents. Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Secret of Darkness and the Danger It Poses

Whenever we have the unfortunate circumstance of enduring the tragedy and loss that a suicide brings, our first instinct is to ask, "Why did this happen?". At that moment it seems unfathomable that someone would take their own life in lieu of what they had and accomplished in life. However, statistics show that over 99% of us have thought about taking our own lives at some point or another. A friend reminded me today, that 'suicide is a permanent solution to the temporary problems of the world'. Please know, that in no way am I oversimplifying the causes of suicide or overlooking it's weight. Many of us have someone that we have lost to suicide, including myself. The motivating element that causes one to transition from thinking to doing is a powerful one. It is capable of engulfing one to the point where all light of hope and life are snuffed out. It blocks all other options save for the grim one it suggests. It causes you to forget all that you have and remember all that you don't. This darkness is dangerous, and all of us have it, at least a grain of it. Every single one of us have some type of darkness in our lives. It could be something we've done in our past, or something that plagues us on a constant basis. Everyone has a secret or two. Things that we'd rather not have anyone know about us. (This is the darkness I have referred to in previous posts). If we let these things remain in hiding in our hearts, they can quickly overcome us. Shame, fear, and guilt provide a solid breeding ground for our darkness. When we deem our secrets "too shameful to tell", we write death sentences for our souls. That darkness burgeons within us, it seeps into every fiber of our being until it is all we can see. I believe that it is at this point that one transitions from thinking about suicide to actually doing it.
But if we all have the capacity, how do we stop this? How to we prevent it from taking over us? We must vanquish the darkness by shining a light on it. Tell someone. If you are struggling with something or holding something back, tell someone about it. Talk to a trusted friend, pastor, counselor, or call the suicide help line. Keep trying until someone listens. Everyone needs help sometimes, and there is no shame taking it. It's easy to feel like you are the only one dealing with what you have going on, but IT IS NOT TRUE. We are never alone in our struggles, and the biggest part of the battle is accepting that and getting help. There is always hope, no matter how bleak a situation looks. We are all worthy of love and help. It is time to rise up and take a stand against this. It all starts with being a good friend. Being a good friend to yourself and get help, and be a good friend to people around you. Listen to others and NEVER take a problem or a friend who has talked about suicide lightly. By listening and confiding in each other, we can help save lives.

Resources:

www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Helpline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)