T'was the Night Before Jesus was Born

T’was the night before Jesus was born and all across the globe—
There was not a cure for sin, nor healing for the soul.
In the temples and the synagogues the law was loudly screamed;
Yet the mind was still contaminated, the heart remained unclean.

T’was the night before Jesus’ birth, no need for Christmas Day;
For we had no Savior to call on, nor the capability to pray.
Our sacrifice we couldn’t offer, our vessels clad with stain.
There was no stealing away to the altar or pleading in THAT name.

T’was the night before Jesus was born and not a man had came,
Who’d walk holy in this present world and from all evil refrain.
Harsh judgments were enforced, by judges full of scam—
Imputing all our guilt and trespasses onto a sacrificial lamb.

T’was the night before Jesus came, yet his birth had been foretold—
By those who lived years before Him: the wise prophets of old.
Exclaiming that He’d come to give remission from our sins,
To the weary he’d give rest, forgiving them again and again.

T’was the night before Jesus came, yet the world knew Him not.
They would laugh at his message; His identity they’d mock.
And of His miracles to come, they would display fury and rage—
Choosing rather to acknowledge the sanctity of the Sabbath day.

T’was the night before Jesus came; yet we lived without justification.
Unworthy to stand in the presence of a King: lacking sanctification.
Sin was temporarily covered, but could never be remiss.
Until Christ went to Calvary, after Judas’s perpetrating kiss.

T’was the night before Jesus came, yet the infant already knew.
He’d give his life on a rugged cross, to extend new life to you.
That little, precious Jesus boy, would be born in a manger—
Surrounded by wildlife, animals and other distant strangers.

Now that JESUS has arrived and returned, we celebrate His birth.
We marvel in His wondrous acts, performed while here on earth.
And in the midst of our celebrating, we’re preparing for His return.
Choosing rather to REIGN WITH HIM, than in hell for eternity to burn.

Reaction: The Open Windows of Consciousness

It’s not often we are given the luxury of foreseeing adversity that is to come. In addition to being caught of off guard, the unknown and the unexpected can leave us with an array of emotions to decipher, an ego to salvage and a heart to shield. Yesterday, I observed an exchange between a man (John) and a woman (Jane), and as the situation escalated—instead of searching for resolve, John immediately began to survey his surroundings to see who had observed the confrontation. Being one who observes three times more than I speak, I was perplexed over why John worried so much about who saw the exchange. It then became apparent to me that when how we look becomes our premier area of concern, it’s unlikely that resolution or reconciliation will be attained. John’s reaction gave me a panoramic view of how he really felt—no matter how hard he tried to circumvent others from seeing the exchange. Then the revelation hit me: our reactions open the windows of our consciousness to be put on public display.

Furthermore, repetitious reactions can transform our consciousness from being a window into an all-out open exhibit for everyone to gallivant over. This prevents progressivism from being extracted during personal struggle. Yes, we have a human constitution to be honest. We even have an honest constitution to be human; however, that does not entitle us to convey the most concentrated emotions of our heart during every reaction. That being said, we must learn to embrace intense situations from a non-reactive standpoint. If I react in a way that only preserves my ego, what then happens to my heart and my conscience? Moreover, if I seek to preserve my heart, what then happens to my ego? This seems perplexing, but I must admit, I’d much rather nurse a broken ego than a severed conscious.

The purpose of this entry is merely to consider how we gauge the reaction process. A survey of various reactions can be a great reference point as to where self-introspection and change is needed. I’m fervently supportive of being transparent, but I’m adamantly against familiarity to the point where people can know verbatim how you will react in EVERY situation. No one individual should have THAT much access to your conscience. If personal growth is going to occur, we must be willing to address and eventually control our reactive processes. One thing remains certain: adversity will come to our doorsteps, but we have the power to change the way we conduct ourselves in the midst thereof. Long story short: don’t let ‘em see you sweat. ;-) Abundant blessings and well wishes to you all during this holiday season!