It’s Advent Season. Rejoice!

Monday Reflection

I love this post from my internet friend, insanitybytes22. I love her wit and I love her perspective on life. This particular post struck a chord in my soul. I too have a visceral distaste for whiners. But she is not just venting here. She is pointing us to the way of gratitude, to the way of worship. Here’s a brief excerpt from her blog . . .

I confess this issue I have with whiners because I don’t want this post to sound too harsh, but I grew up within militant atheism and was not allowed to read a Bible. I could not go to church or worship. I literally had to pray in secret. Ever taken communion alone? That’s a real oxymoron.

People don’t always understand how privileged they are, how much freedom they have until they lose it. Every single time I walk into a church or even a Bible study, I never forget where I came from, how blessed I am today to have the freedom to worship. It never leaves my mind, it is that burned into my brain. My faith has been a real struggle, so every time I see other Christians engage in worship or praise or prayer, it feels like Victory to me. I don’t even have to know you, I just need to see you, somewhere, anywhere, giving praise or praying. Heck, I’ve been known to follow cars down the road just because they have a “Jesus is Lord” bumper sticker on them. Those crosses people sometimes put up on their houses, those matter to me. My eyes never stop scanning and seeking evidence of people’s faith and every time I spot it, I think of Victory, Jesus Christ’s victory on the cross.

My own struggles are nothing compared to what some people in the world are going through right now. There are atrocities happening that I cannot even bear to think about. Even right here safely at home there are people suffering grief and loss and the storms of life that threaten to swallow us all up. None of us really get through life unscathed and none of us can do it alone.

Indeed. None of us can do it alone. We need one another. We need our flawed and irritating church friends, even the whiners. So this Christmas season, make sure that you are looking up to the One who took on flesh so He could lay it down in sacrifice for you. He came. He lived. He died. He rose. He ascended. He is coming again. And because of all that He did, every day, till He does return, is a victory, no matter what battles might be fought today. Remember that and rejoice.