I Look Towards the East and See a Star

It seems that I've been observing some people around me and becoming more and more thankful for the life I have. I have seen a recently married couple leaving in two separate cars one night. When one pictures newlyweds, they often see a handsome man and a beautiful woman, basking in each other's love and exchanging smiles. Love is still in the air after honeymoon. But this couple I saw...they didn't get married because they were in love. They got married for immigration papers. Married and living in separate houses with separate lives.

On the other side of town is a woman raising her grandchild, waiting for her young, rebellious, unmarried daughter to come and take responsibility for her child. The child's father? Forget it.

They are only representatives of many more people out in the world with messed-up lives and broken homes. How can two people be married not because of love? What will happen to the child when he grows up and wonders who his parents are? Honestly, how many more people in the world are living lives like that--even worse? The world is not wonderful. It is dirty, left out, dying, and drenched in sin. So how in the world are these people supposed to find hope and peace on Christmas?

These are the people that Jesus came to save. He came to give us peace on earth. We use these terms so often--"Peace on Earth," "Hope," "Joy to the World"--but why? How can they say such things when they don't even believe in who brings the peace, hope, and joy of Christmas?

As Christians, we should be thankful for the hope that we have in Jesus. We've complained about how hard life is with Him, but we've never stopped to think how much harder life would be without Him.

What we need to do is give. Give until there's nothing left, and even if the world doesn't listen, we need to keep trying.

*Sorry to quote so many songs!