"Halleluias Render"

There is touch of frost on the lawn, this morning. It seems the perfect decoration for Christmas Eve. The chill, the snow, the silence of the lull, just before the rush of the opening of the presents, tomorrow. We are very grateful for the health and strength of the past year, that we have known. For so many years, we celebrated the holidays with the looming of a healthcare crisis of a loved one or another.
Parents, especially carry the most attention of us, when they are sick. We are very thankful, that most everyone is relatively healthy and we haven't that burden of care on our minds.
For many years past, we pilgrimmed to the "side" of an ailing one or another:ie. My mother-in-law, Grandma Ruth, Dad, etc. These seasons and the people that were at the center of the celebrations are missed, but the sense of care that we will not get to give that last kiss and see that last smile or carry that last cup of water, is not missed. The lessons learned in the seasons of alarming care are many, but as we attempt to recoup some of the pleasantries that the Merriness of Christmas extends; I can see that there are lessons in the merriness, too.
The goodness of God leads to repentance. The peace and joy of the first coming of the Lord Jesus to "save His people from their sins". The imitation of Christ in giving ourselves to oneanother and giving gifts to those we love. The lights and the merrity of gathering for festive occasions to worship the Lord as the body of believers and the sense of the presence of the Lord in the midst of His people, can be taken for granted, when we have our wits about us and the health of all that we love right there with us. It is often that we have sensed His presence in suffering. Still more often that we are enlivened to an appreciation of the presence of God in the regular day to day celebrations that we enjoy. God is present in the midst of His people, out of love for us. We don't need to beg Him to come and be with us. It is He, who said and still says, "Adam, where are you?" That is the gesture of love. We forget this, when we hide from His presence through out the week and the year. Through the commandments, God bid His people, don't forget to gather together and be in My presence, at least one day out of the week. This is love. We argue the point, is it the first is it the last, is it an everyday, do we have to? We are careless and taking advantage of our loving Father who wants to be where we are. He cannot be where we are in sin, He is Holy! He must bid us to separate ourselves from our tendencies and carry our minds to His in Holiness. Adam, where are you? He calls.
Well, I have been here and there and...
Can we be together? The longings that we have for the loved ones who we miss, is just a taste of the longing that God maintains for His created people; with whom he created an ability to enjoy fellowship, both with oneanother and with Him.
A little lower than the angels, we were created. Their entire job it is to obey and minister to God daily and regularly. We have the ability to long for fellowship, both with God and with oneanother, as being made in His image. Christmas shows us the beauty of the longing heart of God, who didn't just long, but did condescend and give again and again that we would have the opportunity to enjoy His presence in a special way, when we gather together in worship and concentratedly render Halleluias.