Christmas is right around the corner. I love this time of year, although it keeps me quite busy putting up decorations, buying and wrapping gifts, and attending get-togethers. Still, as I hurry through the season, I love all the festivity that is seemingly everywhere with decorations up in stores, and Christmas music playing on the car radio and in stores.
Yesterday while substituting in a Missions class at the Christian school where I work, I saw a film published by Lifeway, about the persecuted church titled, The Insanity of God. How my heart was touched! I fought back tears many times. Along with making me more aware of what other Christians in other places around the world go through, it also made me greatly appreciate the privilege I have to worship my Lord freely! As I drove home from work yesterday and heard Christmas songs on the radio, and then walked into my decorated home with its brightly lit Christmas tree and nativities set out in a few places, I once again fought back tears. How blessed we are in the U.S!
I am a Christian writer. Almost everything I have ever written has a Christian focus--conveys a Biblical truth, or reflects on Christ or his followers in some way. To date, I have only written two pieces out of hundreds that are more secular in nature and only one of them has, or rather will, make it into print, thus far. (I sold a memoir of my high school's 1975 football championship run to a regional magazine last week--the first time I have crossed over into the secular market. I hope to do that more in the future, but Christian writing will always remain my passion and make up the bulk of my writing.)
Yesterday, as I watched the film, it resonated with me quite profoundly that I could be imprisoned. persecuted, and even killed for what I do if I lived somewhere else. So today I want to say, "Merry Christmas and my God increase religious freedom around the world and continue to bless America!”
