O Tidings of Comfort and Joy

I'm not sure what to name this post. Not even sure what it is going to be about at this point. I am trying to sort through a deluge of emotions that are crowding in and attempting to overwhelm my spirit.  It's Christmas, and we all want it to be merry and bright...full of good cheer and tidings of great joy.

Certainly, that is the message of Christmas..."O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of

comfort and joy."  As I wrote those last words I started singing the Christmas Carol, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"...and I tried to find it in one of the many different hymnals I have in my personal library, and could not believe that it was not included in any of them! I wonder why, and if so, how did we come to know it so well?  Thanks to Google, I have included it at the end of this post.

The reason I am writing tonight is because I don't feel so full of good cheer and great joy. We received some disturbing, unsettling, difficult news today.  Our wonderful son who has been battling cancer for almost four years learned today that the grueling chemotherapy treatments he has been enduring (seems like forever) are no longer effective. The cancer is spreading and crowding his vital organs. Surgery is not an option for him. Unless they can come up with some kind of miracle cure/treatment very soon, or unless God intervenes on his behalf with a miracle...his prognosis is not looking very good.

This is not the kind of news any parent wants to hear any time, let alone just before Christmas. What complicates matters is that we live about 1500 miles away from our son and his family, and we can't very easily drop everything and go as much as we want to do just that. Nor can he very easily come to us.

So we have spent our afternoon since receiving this news basically in shock and trying to sort through the muck and mire of the thoughts crowding into our minds and hearts and trying to figure out the best course of action at this time.

Right now we have to get through Christmas. We have family and work obligations here. There are multitudes of issues to deal with...financial, time, place, what-if's, what should we do, when should we go.

Then this little Christmas song goes through my head...

"God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,

Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day;

To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.

Refrain

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;

O tidings of comfort and joy."

And I say to myself, "I don't feel much like a "merry" gentleman (woman) today...but I hear the words..."Let nothing you dismay..."  Okay, Lord, I'm trying here...."Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day..."   Yes, Lord, I do remember...."To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray."   Ah, yes...that is what Christmas is really all about...Christ came to save us from Satan's power...even his seeming power over our lives in sickness and death... Satan has NO DOMINION over us! Satan does NOT hold the keys to life and death or sickness and health.  Only GOD has that power!  God alone ordains the number of days of our lives here on earth.  Jesus Christ came to save us from eternal separation from God! 

"O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;

O tidings of comfort and joy!"

Look at these next verses of the old English version of this little carol:

In Bethlehem, in Israel, this blessèd Babe was born,

And laid within a manger upon this blessèd morn;

The which His mother Mary did nothing take in scorn.

Refrain

From God our heavenly Father a blessèd angel came;

And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same;

How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.

Refrain

“Fear not, then,” said the angel, “Let nothing you afright,

This day is born a Savior of a pure Virgin bright,

To free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s power and might.”

"O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;

O tidings of comfort and joy!"

The shepherds at those tidings rejoiced much in mind,

And left their flocks a-feeding in tempest, storm and wind,

And went to Bethl’em straightaway this blessèd Babe to find.

Refrain

But when to Bethlehem they came where our dear Savior lay,

They found Him in a manger where oxen feed on hay;

His mother Mary kneeling unto the Lord did pray.

Refrain

Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place,

And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace;

This holy tide of Christmas all others doth deface.

Refrain

God bless the ruler of this house, and send him long to reign,

And many a merry Christmas may live to see again;

Among your friends and kindred that live both far and near—

That God send you a happy new year, happy new year,

And God send you a happy new year."

"O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;

O tidings of comfort and joy!"

(Words & Music:  Traditional English)

After singing through this little Christmas song, my heart is lighter.  I have comfort and joy in my soul again. I don't know what the future holds, but I know WHO holds our future...and I know our God and Father in Heaven will do what is right in all things.  He has sent comfort to us tonight...He has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us all from Satan's power...and to remind us that we belong to HIM, not to Satan.  Therefore we need not fear.

Yes, these are tidings of comfort and joy! 

 Link here to a video of this song

Thank you, Lord.