it's not magic, but it is amazing

There are very few of us who have not been excited by the illusions of a good magician.  We may have been five at the time, but nevertheless, we sat 'spellbound.'  We may have asked each other, "How did he DO that?!"  For that moment in time, perplexed by the enormity of the mystery, we might have exclaimed, "That's AMAZING!"

And so it was that there was a time when the truly 'amazing' dealt with magic and mystery.  But, I know something that is truly amazing, and it doesn't have anything at all to do with magic.  It's the unbridled love of God, permeated with His mercy and grace toward us.

We used to sing about it: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound..."  Sadly, we don't sing the great old hymns like we used to.  Don't misunderstand, I think the worship music today is wonderful, but I still miss the "first, second and last."  Who doesn't robustly sing, "I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus, the Nazarene...how wonderful! Oh, how marvelous..." 

To be sure, the theme still exists, but maybe we have lost the sense of wonderment.  For example, anyone who knows me at all is acquainted with my passion for Christmas. (I listen to Christmas music year-round.  I probably have fifty versions of 'Silent Night' that I never cease to enjoy.)  But, maybe I haven't explained why I love Christmas so much...

As Christians, we celebrate Easter, or the Resurrection, as the cornerstone of our faith.  And I, too, believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead just for me.  Therefore, I celebrate His death and resurrection, but it doesn't amaze me.  Jesus, himself, declared that the very reason He came was to die for us...that the prophecy might be fulfilled.  And, there it is!  That He came at all...that's the part that still amazes me!  Why?  Why would He leave heaven to be hated and mistreated, rejected and spat upon?!  Well, I'll tell you why.  He was compelled by a force that we can't even imagine the magnitude of...pure love.  Mercy and grace were the partners in this magnificent plan for the redemption of mankind.  The mere thought of such sacrificial love still astounds me.  It's amazing.

I realize that December twenty-fifth was 'created' by man to offer the fledgling Christians an alternative to the pagan rituals honoring the Winter Solstice...the end of the darkest days and the coming, again, of light.  As humans, we long for pomp and circumstance, and the early church was losing its grip, as people began to drift back to the 'old ways.'  So, it was devised that we, too, could celebrate light, the true light of God.
And you know the rest of the story...sadly, for too many, Christmas has become a time for excess.

I admit, I excessively enjoy every moment of the wonderment of the coming of my Saviour.  With great anticipation, I look forward to His return.  And, yes!  It still amazes me that He came at all!  I celebrate His coming every day of my life.  I get giddy when I hear the first notes, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come!"  Yes, yes!  JOY!  Absolute, J-O-Y!  The greatest gift of all...'let earth receive her king!'

It isn't magic, but IT IS AMAZING!