Hey Friends,
Merry Christmas! This is Odie reporting in from the Ohio Beach Cottage. We are running around trying to tie up a few lose ends before the holidays next week. I enjoy the hustle and bustle of Christmas.
This time of the year I also like to ponder the true reason for the season. Christmas is a day set aside to celebrate our Savior’s birth. I am blown away by the fact that Christ came to earth for us! You and I are the whole reason He left the splendor of Heaven. Jesus left royalty to be a common man. Wow, and to think that He gave up everything just for us! Ultimately Christ came to give us salvation.
Mary and Joseph were Jesus’ earthly parents. They could not explain the events surrounding His arrival. They did not volunteer for the position, but they were chosen by God to care for His son. That was an amazing responsibility. I cannot comprehend everything that they endured during that time. Even Mary and Joseph probably wondered why us, what in the world is going on, or how do we explain this to others? Mary and Joseph are heroes of the faith that I admire!
This week I have been listening to a song entitled Labor of Love. It is a beautiful song! I love the way these lyrics take you right to Bethlehem 2000 years ago.
My favorite version of the song was recorded by the Isaacs. It was featured on their 2010 Christmas project. Click here to visit the Isaacs online store.
My cousin Becky Isaacs Bowman sings awesome on this song. Her delivery of this message is incredible every time. I never tire of hearing her sing this song.
Labor of Love was written by Andrew Peterson and published by Universal Music Publishing Group. You can find it on iTunes by clicking here. Also click here for a YouTube video of this great song. This link here takes you to a special video recorded outside of Bethlehem in 2014.
I will close with the song lyrics below. Please take a moment to listen to this song and reflect on the precious gift that the world was given on Christmas. Jesus was a special baby that changed our world forever!
Thank you for reading today. Merry Christmas to Everyone! I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Odie
Labor of Love
Verse 1
It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyways that night
On the streets of David's town
And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
Little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother's hand to hold
Chorus
It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
Every beat of her beautiful heart was a labor of love
Verse 2
Noble Joseph by her side
Callused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
On the streets of David's town
In the middle of the night
So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
For the baby in the womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the author of the faith
That could make the mountains move
Chorus
It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
Every beat of her beautiful heart was a labor of love
Little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
It was a labor of love
Tag
It was not a silent night
On the streets of David's town
