My Christmas story-a story of love!

This is my Christmas story, a story of love. It's in response to a childhood picture posted by a friend who described (paraphrasing) "missing the small child" (represented in the pic) who enjoyed child-like innocence, and times when life wasn't tainted by disappointments and heartbreaks which can occur as we get older; missing the child who enjoyed fun things like a ride on Daddy's shoulders, believing in Santa, and of knowing the care-free existence that's typically synonymous with childhood.

I often reflect upon the good times as a little boy too, because those were some of the best, most magical occasions of life! I believe it's the all-too-human way which many of us who can look back, will grasp for something worth remembering particularly when the weight of the world seems rather heavy, and the spirit of child-like innocence seems long gone the older we get, and the more we live through.

And then I thought about so many people where life went awry, they lost loved ones, or just have a life of busyness and responsibility which robs them of peace at Christmastime. I thought how tough life circumstances can diminish any kind of cheerfulness or happiness, joy, tranquility, fun, or love, and often bury or even erase good memories. Deep down, it's a sad season for many, and for many reasons.

But what if, despite whatever reality looks like, it were actually possible to restore a child-like innocence, and a joy that seems to spring up from an endless fountain like when we were kids? What if it were possible to find real peace, tranquility, experience love, and have faith knowing that all is well? Well I'm here to tell my story that I believe it is not only possible, but a guarantee with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Yes, the Christmas story! And it's true, and I'm a living testament that all these things are possible with Him. ?

So yes, it's really true! I learned that God can, and does, restore innocence when we, as flawed humans who have been through so much, choose to reach out, by faith, to Him for help. God promises that old things pass away and all things to become new in Jesus Christ; what a promise! But is it real? It is! I can assure you this faith is not a crutch for weak-minded people, or a wild, concocted religious fable like some would say, but literally, this is God taking away all the sin burdens we as humans carry, it's bridging the separation we feel from Him through Jesus Christ. It seems crazy, and even impossible, but it's not. The Christmas story is real, and it brings a joy that Santa never could! It's the true account of a love like no other love, and it's not a love that will ever leave or forsake us. It's a love so true and amazing, you will not be able to contain yourself in telling others about it once you experience it! It's the most amazing love story ever, and it's not a fictional novel. It’s the incredible account of God coming to man through his only son Jesus Christ, to make a way for mankind to know and experience His amazing grace and love, first hand.

So it is true, God restored child-like innocence for me many years ago! I was dirty, promiscuous, foul-mouthed, unlovable, and the weight of the world was on top of me. I was the furthest thing from any semblance of innocence, yet confirmed by the words of my own mom, I couldn't believe when she said to me (one future day following my encounter with The Love of God), "There's something different about you Dominic…an innocence that I haven't seen in you since childhood!" This was significant to hear because I was a deadbeat with problems not many years earlier, and my mom knew it. She loved me, and accepted me, but was constantly grieved by my poor decisions, which amounted to bad consequences, where she would be quick to rebuke me.

I felt that my life was wasted and beyond any meaningful hope for the future. I continuously and foolishly flushed life away. I made things worse, I blamed myself for things that weren't my fault, and pointed blame to others for things that were. There was little joy, trust, or kindness for others after I experienced betrayal, hurt, emptiness, emotional and physical pain. I wore a fake mask of happiness (and I think we all do that to some degree), I hated myself and bottled up my hurts, I didn't want people to see what was really going on inside. I wished there was an escape when I felt so empty on the inside, so I soothed my miseries with temporary fixes like alcohol, but the pain and emptiness never went away. Not until I sincerely asked God to take it.

After encountering God's love, I later learned that the bible calls God our "Daddy" and He will carry us on His shoulders if we let Him. Many adults are far too prideful to admit their need to be carried, and it's this very pride that separates us from an unquenchable love of The Father, because God resists prideful people who reject His love. It's like turning away a loving embrace from a parent because you're too proud and stubborn, and act like you don't need a hug because you're too cool for that. You've got it all together.

To learn of and accept The Love of God became easier the more I felt I had nothing to be prideful about. Losing 3 children to abortion or miscarriage, many broken hearts, relationships, and disappointments, an abusive father who left home, homelessness, joblessness, substance and alcohol abuse, and trying to survive and make it by all just take a toll. While I've learned that while there are good solutions for problems like these through counseling, etc, I now believe there is no substitute for the only answer to the problem of sin's consequence in the world other than knowing God's love through Jesus Christ.

I learned that The Love of God embodied in Jesus Christ actually gives people a new heart of flesh and throws out the stony hard heart when we invite Him in. It's a tremendous gift of a brand new life whereby God takes the burden of the former things, so that indeed, we are set free from them even despite the very real hardships we encounter in the world. With Christ, all things are possible and we can live in perfect peace with God regardless of the storms of life that surround us.

I encountered the reality that God, through Christ, gives us a garment of praise in exchange for the spirit of heaviness; He gives us the ability to love ourselves because we NOW recognize that He loves us and that we aren't junk! Through Christ, we recognize that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, so loved by God! We are the apple of His eye, we are His pride and joy, we are not a mistake, and we can know real true boundless love when we learn of, and receive the great gift God has bestowed upon us, that is our redemption and reconciliation to God in Christ! Self hate disappeared when the Love of God shone abroad in my heart because I had opened the door to Him. And behold, He stands at the door for all of us and knocks. Will we open the door and invite Him in?

I learned that God grants His beloved people sleep and we can rest in Him. We find that rest in light of this good news that the gift of love which God offers everyone in Christ is sooooo worth it!

This is the real Christmas story, the real Christmas miracle, the real Christmas gift to mankind! If you need hope and if you need someone to turn to, go to God and point your trust to His love expressed to you through Jesus Christ; you will not be left alone or be disappointed ever. Your faith is only as good in the one in whom you place it, and faith in God through Jesus is faith well placed!

Praying you have a truly glorious blessed peaceful Christmas and holiday season and that the real love represented in the Christmas celebration makes its way into all your hearts!

Merry Christmas!