These words come flying out of my mouth to the checker as I pay at the grocery store, or to the man at the meat locker boxing up my brisket this morning. Sometimes our traditions and habits become empty and need to be revisted.
I heard the most amazing talk about the word “merry” on Family Life.com broadcast through Bott Radio last week. (http://www.familylife.com/audio/topics/holidays/featured/christmas)
Ace Collins was giving history and background on our traditions of Christmas and what some of the old hymns actually mean. I caught bits and pieces of his interview while running Christmas errands – how ironic.
When I google it, I find that the term Happy Christmas is used often by our brothers and sisters on the English isle. Instead of meaning “jovial and slightly intoxicated” in the mid 1800’s, it probably was used to mean “pleasant and peaceful”. Ace Collins has a different take than Google, however, and it fascinated me.
Collins described through his research in the song “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” that the term “merry” here was used to actually mean mighty. And the word “rest”, at the time, actually meant “make”.
So it was:
God Make Ye Mighty Gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our savior was born on Christmas Day.
And then it hit me – Have a Mighty Christmas. It was an unstoppable message that I needed to share with my Lymie friends. There is nothing more that I could pray for you all than to have a mighty, strong, vigorous, a powerhouse kind of day.
Yes, we need healing and hope, but until then, we all need strength – a powerhouse, mighty kind of strength. According to dictionary.com that makes you important, exceptional, powerful, tremendous and potent.
Do you feel that? Can you claim that – and live those words over your life this Christmas season?
Because I’ve been there and felt it – doesn’t this more fit what you feel?
Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction,and my bones grow weak. (Psalm 31:9-10)
But remember what God promises over and again in his word:
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. (Psalm 28:7)
It is not by our own strength that we will make it and fight and climb out of this Lyme pit and valley. Let Him be your strength and sheild and Have Yourself a Mighty Christmas.
Blessings,
Janice Fairbairn
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