Good morning, Five Minute Families. This is an interesting week in the US. For many, it is the down time between Christmas and the New Year. For some, it is the time of intensity as they work to wrap up many of the end-of-year tasks that absolutely must be completed. Christmas is barely over, and we may have already lost sight of the baby Jesus in the change of rhythm from holiday mode to new year mode.

But, we must realize that this past holiday and this week in-between joyful evenings are not just about the food, fellowship, and gifts. It all - All. Everything. The food. The fellowship. The gifts. The downtime. The hustle and bustle. Everything. - everything should be about our Savior. For unto us a child was born. Not just any child of course. The Son of God. The Son of Man. The King of kings and Lord of Lords. Prince of peace. Jesus Christ. Emmanuel.

Let’s turn our thoughts to 2 Corinthians 5:21 for a moment, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” In that verse we hear the word might. Might. Is that what we are looking for in all the celebrations and gift exchanges, time sending New Year’s cards and staying up late playing games? Might. A look at the Greek word: ginomai used in that verse and a perusal through a lexicon gives us a definition: Be, become, come to pass. But the definition doesn’t take the mood and context into account. The mood adds details- specifically, direction to the verb. In this case, it directs it toward present or future probabilities. Possibilities - that’s what we are still on this earth for. The possibilities of more folks coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. The possibilities of deepening our knowledge of and relationship with the Lord. Possibilities in our family and friend relationships. Possibilities are impossibilities without the ‘might’ of Jesus Christ.

You know, this year, we sent out a Christmas card that said on it “what a year!’ I was excited to get a card that exclaimed the excitement and chaos of the year. When a friend said she liked it, she pointed out that she wasn’t sure which way she should take it: “what a year!” (happy) or “what a year! (exhausted). Honestly, if you have listened for any length of time, just like my friend knew, you would know that the negative way could be a very real possibility of how I meant it. However, not once in the whole time of creating the photo or stuffing the envelopes with the photo did I think the exasperated “what a year!” For the past few weeks, I have been in a place of hopefulness. It has, quite honestly, been refreshing. The impossible is possible with the ‘might’ of Jesus Christ.

Mights and ifs are only possible when we see the Truth. Our family for years has added different adornaments to our tree that focus on names and aspects of Jesus. They include:

The Vine

Light of the world

Bright morning star

Lion of Judah

Lamb of God

Bread of life

King of kings

Giver of living water

Good shepherd

The door

Immanuel

Savior

Let’s take a look at one of the names that we can ascribe to Jesus: Jesus IS the prince of peace. You will not have peace simply because he is peace. If you accept him as the prince of peace and allow him to be the prince of peace in your life, you will experience peace. You will have his peace when you walk in it. It is always possible, but you MIGHT miss it if you don’t accept it.

He will bring what we ourselves could never bring... Peace.

Another example from our simple list: What about the Bread of life? We are filled by that bread only if we receive the gift of that bread and we eat of that bread.

Think about each possibility. Each might. Each if. Challenge your family to focus on a descriptor or name for Jesus and see how you either accept or deny His goodness in your life.

2022 does not have to be a 2020 also. No matter what happens around the globe or in your town, you can seek the Lord’s peace, love, and joy, and shine that throughout the new year into your family, your friends, and your community. Jesus has blessed you and your family another day to love each other IF you choose to do so.

From Clear View Retreat we wish you a Happy New Year. Be blessed.