And yet...

There is a snowstorm of epic proportions en route to the Midwest, with 12-20 inches of snow predicted beginning Dec. 23 and ending Dec. 26...

And yet Christmas is coming!

The world prepares for the impending struggles that come with travel troubles and all that comes with snowstorms...

And yet Christmas is coming!

The storm rages on in the south, making its way north...

And yet, Christmas is coming!

This isn't the only storm that is raging, however, as it would seem that an inordinate amount of "storms" have left a lot of people around me in a position of mourning rather than celebration this Christmas.

My friend Billy Coffey over at What I Learned Today referred to what I am talking about like this:  "What did I do that was so bad, Daddy?" when talking about his sone having to open one of the gifts he had wrapped.    Billy apparently doesn't wrap well, and so uses a lot of paper and even more tape.

Those ugly packages, he writes, sometime look like some of the "gifts" in our lives, those things that look ugly but wind up blessing us.

In my world today, I know a lot of people who are grieving some poorly wrapped packages, if you will, this Christmas.

There is the family mourning the loss of a beautiful daughter and sister in her early 20s...a young lady who died unexpectedly from complications to a seizure...

And yet they have hope in the Gift that is Christmas!

There is the family from our church who lost a father and a grandfather in the past week after a battle with illness...

And yet there is hope that comes in the form of a babe in the manger!

There are marriages that are on the rocks.  One I know of where the husband has moved out in this week and one that I know of where  the husband wants to walk out...

And yet, Christmas is coming!

In one conversation I had while on the road this morning, despite everything that is going, this individual has hope.

"Good morning," I said as the gentelman answered the phone.  "How are you doing today?"

"Good, you too?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am doing really well," I told him.  "Just wanted to call to tell you we are praying for you in all that you are dealing with."

"Thanks," he said.  "This is even tougher than when we lost our son."

"I am sorry," I said.  "Try to have a Merry Christmas" I weakly conclude the conversation.

"We still remember the reason," he said!

"We still remember the reason!"

Hmmm...

Satan would do everything he could to disrupt Christmas - to disrupt Christ's coming - and yet he came.

"Sorry, Joseph there is no room for you here!"

And yet he came!

He was a perfect man - he never did anything wrong - EVER...

And yet he died for you and for me!

Snowstorms come, travel becomes impossible, lives are full of pain and suffering...

And yet we have hope that comes in the form of a baby, born in the most humble of settings some 2000 years ago.

Things for many can look bleak and dark this Christmas.  For some there packages appear to be poorly wrapped.  For others people are moving away and leaving a void behind.  For still others there isn't going to be much of a Christmas this year because of financial struggles.  For still others, Christmas is going to be really hard because it is spent in a hospital waiting room while their patient recovers.  And for more, someone will be missing from the celebration.

And yet, Christmas is coming. 

He always comes - this Jesus we celebrate - he always comes to meet us when we call on him.  When we have cause to rejoice and celebrate in good news, he comes!  When the despair is too much to handle and we cry out, he comes!  When the storm rages on, that star - His star - still shines!

The Prince of Peace was born to bring just that, peace, in the midst of the storms, the poorly wrapped packages and all that this world offers. 

Jesus told us himself in John's gospel:  John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives."

I don't know where you are this Christmas.  Perhaps you are eager to celebrate our dear Savior's birth.  Perhaps things are tough this Christmas - I don't know - but I do know in this world we will have troubles...

And yet, Christmas is coming!  Praise God!

Click the ling to read more about Christmas Coming from Jennifer's perspective, or on this one to see what Ann has to say this Christmas.