Joy To The World, The Lord Has Come!

by Karin Paparelli

I can remember as a child hearing people say how happy-go-lucky I was. At a young age I had mastered the art of letting things roll off my back. I loved people, I loved life!

I was rarely depressed or anxious or even fearful. But in one day everything changed. My happy, safe world collapsed and it would never be the same. At the age of thirty-four, my father left for work in the morning and never came home. He was accidently killed at work. My family did not have a relationship with the Lord and the fabric of our lives was ripped apart. When my father died, my mother suffered an emotional breakdown. Consumed with grief, she was unable to effectively care for her children. My older sister was immediately hospitalized for a nervous breakdown. That left myself and my younger sister. So I put on the robe of responsibility at the age of thirteen and did all I could to hold our family together. That happy-go-lucky child was gone, replaced by a fearful and insecure young woman. As the years went by, I became more and more independent and self-sufficient . By all outward appearances I could handle anything that came my way with great strength and resolve. But inside I kept myself at a distance, fearful of love and distrustful of the future. I built a fortress around my heart; safe, protected, impenetrable.

All of this stayed just beneath the surface. It is amazing that I fell in love and was married. My husband was the perfect match. His mother had passed away when he was a teen and deep within his soul he shared similar fears and insecurities. What is so amazing is that we never noticed how much we loved from a distance. I suppose since we were both distant it seemed alright. There were times when I thought there must be more than this, but we were so compatible that I didn't dwell on it. We stayed on the surface never allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. We'd do anything to avoid the intolerable pain that we knew death would inevitably bring. Hard to imagine that we lived like that for years without thinking anything was wrong.

Then we met the Lord. And once again everything changed! Only this time it was for the better. As the Holy Spirit gently prodded and nudged, I began to realize how hard my heart had become through the years. People would speak of joy and I just couldn't understand what they meant. I knew happiness, that fleeting emotional high when everything was going right. But what was this joy that could sustain you through trials and heartaches?

I began to pray more and more to know the kind of love that is vulnerable and not afraid to take risks. The Lord birthed in me a desire to remove the callouses around my heart. I wanted to stop skimming the surface of life and especially in my marriage. The same kinds of revelations were going on in my husband's heart too. We knew we needed to change, to trust God. As we opened up to the Lord and His plan for our life, we started to open up more to each other and the love that had only been on the surface began to put down roots, deep into our souls. Scarey? You bet! Worth it? Absolutely! For the first time ever I discovered joy! True joy, the joy that only the Lord can bring. As my relationship with the Lord grew so did my love for life and once again for people. You see that is what He planned for me from the start. Everyday became another adventure with Jesus! I have no idea what tomorrow may bring, but I do not live in fear of that, because I know that my life is safe in His hands. Whatever the future brings I'll be ok, because He is with me. His word says, "For I know the Plans I have for you... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jer 29:11). I know that I can trust God with the future, because His plans give me hope. I know that He is faithful to His word because He has shown Himself faithful to me repeatedly.

I can joyfully report that my mother and two sisters also know and love Jesus now, and He is in the process of mending our family. As for my marriage? Well anyone who is married knows that it takes constant attention and care to stay intimate. It is easier and less threatening to stay on the surface, but as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus we find the courage to be vulnerable. I still battle fear and insecurity at times. The thought of losing my husband can be overwhelming if I let it be. But there is comfort and security knowing that we really do have eternity.

So how about you? Jesus said He came to give us life to the full. Is your life full? I don't mean with stuff to do, but full of love? Full of joy? Full of hope for the future? I recently spoke to my husband's brother. We hadn't spoken to him in awhile and he sounded so down and out. There was nothing wrong in particular but no joy either. As we spoke, I shared the joy that Jesus has given me with him. I told him how much I loved my life, how much I loved his brother, and how he too can have this joy. We prayed and as we did ,all of heaven rejoiced! Now that's JOY!

This is the time of year when people are either bursting with joy or suffering depression. My heart goes out to those who have lost their joy or perhaps never found it. For you today can be the day you find joy. Two thousand years ago heaven came to earth, and Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He came to bring hope, love, mercy and grace. He came to set the captives free, to give sight to the blind, to bind up the broken hearted. Through His life, death and resurrection we can now be reconciled to God. He is Emmanuel; God with us. Why not come to the manger, come to the newborn king and discover the true reason for the season? Give Him your heart and let Him fill you with unspeakable joy!

JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD HAS COME,

LET EARTH RECEIVE HER KING,

LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM

LET HEAVEN AND NATURE SING!

This holiday season may you walk in His grace. Thy kingdom come!

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