With a son in prison, it's another Christmas without my complete family. That seems to be the norm since my grandmother left us. I remember the Christmas Eves of my childhood, with aunts, uncles, cousins and food. Now we are lucky to get a meal where everyone can sit down and eat peacefully. We actually accomplish that better at Thanksgiving now that we go out for our turkey dinner.
Christmas feels different since my visit to Israel last March. I must say that Jerusalem and Bethlehem were much too commercialized for my ideas of the Holy City, but I found comfort and connection with my Lord and Savior on the mountainsides and the valleys. Much like life itself, I had to get away from the busyness and the masses to find my peace with God.
On one of our daily trips, we visited the old city of Capernum. There we saw the actual house of the mother-in-law of the Apostle Peter, the place where Jesus healed her. I knew without a doubt that Jesus had been there.
While standing alone in the ruins of the synagogue having a quiet time with my Lord, I asked if He had been where I was standing. In my mind I recalled the verse in Matthew 28 where Jesus said "low I am with you always." No words had been spoken until I answered with the comment, "Yes, you are!" When I spoke the words I heard "Yeshua" which is the Hebrew name for God.
That was an "aha! " moment for me! I had felt the presence of the living God right in his own country, right where he had stood, right where he had healed, right where he had lived . Even though I was in Israel, I had felt Emanuel, God with Us, the same one who is with us now at Christmas and forever, the God who is with us always, wherever that may be.
Those memories of Capernum have encouraged me this Christmas season. Through Christ, my family IS together. We are a complete family, even when separated. My son may be in prison, but Emanuel is with him and with me. Praise God!
