Great Joy.

I've been unplugged for quite some time now, but the Christmas season has put me in a writing mood.

The holidays are somewhat cathartic when you think about it. Your time becomes solely devoted to the people you care about, the people you love. There's no set word or definition for labeling the joy you feel and share during the holidays. Granted, some people are Scrooges, but even old Ebeneezer came around eventually.

Everyone gets sidetracked at some point or another, we become bitter like the cold outside. Throughout the year, we've laughed, we've hurt, we've experienced, and by December, we've lost our steam. Just like the trees once bursting with life, the winter effects us to the core. Once a vibrant green, all that's left is a mass of gritty brown branches. Just like those branches, we're weak and we can break. Often we do break.

But that's where Christmas comes in. Christmas is a rejuvenation of the spirit. Unfortunately, it's easy to lose sight of what Christmas truly means, but at the center of this time, there will always exist a great Joy that deserves to be celebrated.

You know the story, I don't even have to retell it. But consider this:

Despite knowing He would be rejected, despite knowing He would ultimately have to die, despite knowing He would have to experience every horrible pain this world has to offer, even the bitter winters...

...Jesus chose to be born that night. Jesus chose you, over Himself.

"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy." Those words never sounded so sweet.