The Wood

As I seem to do on Christmas mornings these last several years...I sit with my coffee in quiet anticipation and contemplate,  meditated, muse...
This year my mind has been dwelling on the cross...the subject of my advent series this year.
And what I have written, as a result, is really the culmination of the last 4 blogs.
Thank you for reading...I pray all of advent has moved a heart or two.

The wood
rough and gnarled
Formed to hold a bed of hay
Used to cradle a tiny body wrapped in cloth; a little head with soft downy hair...little hands that reach out..little feet that kick
To hold the innocence...the love

The wood
rough and gnarled
formed to punish the quilty
Used to hold the body stripped of clothes and beaten;
the head with the angry crown of thorns,
The hands that healed, loved,
 served; nailed through
The feet which traveled to tell the good news, that were washed with oil, tears and love; pierced to the wood.

The wood..rough and gnarled...is there beauty in it?
Maybe not in their design but there is beauty in their purpose.
That ugly wood built something serviceable....God used it for something beautiful.
To cradle the Christ child sinless and pure
To hold the sins of the world in the body of Christ.
But He didn't need the ugly wood again!
And we dont need it either...because what Christ did was once for all!

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. Romans 6:6-10

So as we celebrate Christ's birth, I am constantly reminded of the cross and ALL that means, and it makes Christmas even sweeter!

May your day be filled with all things life and love!

I had to include this song!
(Thank you Aunt Dawndy for sharing it with me!) The music and Lyrics are by the Ball Brothers
but the video arrangement and pictures are mine.

Merry Christmas!