Monday, December 21, 2015

Christmas Hope



Long ago
In a stable dark,
A little babe was born,
And hope came to
This darkened world
That blessed Christmas morn.
From Adam's time
The curse came down,
And all creation groaned.
A God-shaped void
In all men's hearts
And for his soul__ no home.
Through Adam's choice,
God ordained a time
That Satan's wiles would rule...
To allow for man
Himself, to see
Satan's scheme as dark and cruel.
Through sin, man's heart
Was altered,
He could not see his pain
As coming from
His own wrong choice...
On God, he placed the blame.
God promised,
The day He gave the curse
That He someday would redeem...
His word proclaimed
His creation to save
Through the birth of His Son__ the King.
Down through the ages
Man went his way
Though God's word was strong and clear...
His grace extended
To all who chose
In His power and name to fear.
Then one night in a stable,
Dark and dirty
As heart's full of sin...
A tiny child
Was born to a world
That offered no more room than the inn.
The angels sang...
The shepherds kneeled...
The wisemen traveled far...
All to see a child
Whose destiny
Was a Cross of pain and scars.
And today,
Men still are puzzled...
"Why would I a Savior need?"
Their hearts are dark...
Their minds are dim...
They were weaned on Satan's creed.
In the quiet
Of a thoughtful moment
When, unwilling,
We admit our need__
We know the relationship's broken,
His offer
We know we must heed.
His return is quickly approaching__
Long prophesied
More than His birth__
The Hope of the Ages__
To a world forlorn__
He is God__ His judgment is sure.
The Savior,
To know all our trials,
As a baby, chose to be born...
So come on your knees to the stable__
To the hope
Of that first Christmas morn!

Ó Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, 2001 

About the author: 
Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, released in April 2014. She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 20 years. Her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, Romance Writers of America, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 39 years. They have two adult children.
Connect with Norma:
Book Links:
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas Bookstore: http://store.lpcbooks.com/product/land-of-my-dreams/

6 comments:

  1. Beautiful poem! Thanks for sharing. Praying that you and your family have a blessed Christmas.

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  2. Thanks for sharing your wonderful poem. It's perfect. :) Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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  3. Thank you for this beautiful poem to brighten this rainy Monday. I have been rushing all day and now, as I stop to have a cup of coffee, your words remind me of the miracle we were given and they put it all into focus!
    Merry Christmas!

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