Stasi corralled me yesterday into helping her with the Christmas cards.

In our home, as in every marriage, we have a necessary division of labor. I hang the lights. Christmas cards are Stasi’s domain. But, I was home yesterday, resting from our mission to Australia, and so I jumped in. Lick, stuff. Lick, stuff.

A line in the card (“Let heaven and nature sing”) got me singing the whole song, which I haven’t sung for quite awhile. I guess, a year, now that I think about it. Anyhow, my favorite line in Joy To The World goes like this:

“He comes to make his blessings flow, Far as the curse is found…”

This might be one of the most beautiful, hopeful thoughts in all the world. It reminded me of the truth of the Gospel, and the Kingdom of God – that Jesus fully intends restoration in every aspect of our lives, and of this world. I had just been watching the night before a very hard film on war children in northern Uganda (War Dance – a very good movie) and it left me deeply burdened for all the heart broken in the world.

Then God speaks through a Christmas card.

It reminded me that whatever else Christmas might be, it is a celebration that God’s Kingdom has come, and will prevail. His love, his life, his power to heal and restore. Far as the curse is found. Which is pretty dang far.