By Mary Lindow
Last year on December 21st 2020 (which was the 1st Day of Winter) Steve and I drove to pick up salads for our dinner. It had been a challenging month having just had his Mother pass into heaven while in WuhanCovid-19 lockdowns in a nursing facility.
To be honest, we were a little weary and tender in heart, and still had preparations to do for our Family Christmas Day dinner and celebration with our Son Joel and his wife Angela and our 4 Grandchildren. Our youngest son Tim and his wife Liz were in Texas with her family. This had also bee...
By Mary Lindow
Last year on December 21st 2020 (which was the 1st Day of Winter) Steve and I drove to pick up salads for our dinner. It had been a challenging month having just had his Mother pass into heaven while in WuhanCovid-19 lockdowns in a nursing facility.
To be honest, we were a little weary and tender in heart, and still had preparations to do for our Family Christmas Day dinner and celebration with our Son Joel and his wife Angela and our 4 Grandchildren. Our youngest son Tim and his wife Liz were in Texas with her family. This had also been during the most severe time of lockdowns and restrictions in our State.
Everything felt hard, and dark, and mean.
As we were driving away after picking up salads,
my sister texted and asked if we were going to look for
the “Christmas Star”,
Or, the two planet convergence taking place that evening at dusk. I had wanted to see this and had forgotten! So we aimed the car West and watched the sky!
We live at an altitude of 5290 feet above sea level and have a glorious view of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. At this specific time of year the sun sits at a very low angle in the western sky and when it dips behind the mountains, there is an almost greenish-aqua reflective light, and at 5:15 MDST we saw the "Christmas Star" or two planets very closely spaced together (to human eyes) start to take shape in the Western sky.
We quickly drove to a favorite hilltop location, not too far from our home where we often go to walk and enjoy a complete 360-degree view of our surrounding area and state. We thought that at night and away from city lights we’d have a great place to see this phenomenon and view it away from too many people. This event marked the first time since 1623 that the two planets Saturn and Jupiter have passed this close to one another and also marked the nearly 800 years since the planets aligned at night. As a result, some have referred to the planetary alignment as forming a "Christmas star," in reference to the Star of Bethlehem, since the event falls only a few days before Christmas.
As we drove in thinking we’d take the dirt road up to the hill where there was a parking area, all around us there were HUNDREDS of people parked on the dirt driveway up the hill and on the side streets of the neighborhood surrounding it!
HUNDREDS of people were standing on the hill, looking Westward and upward, looking for the "Christmas Star".
The most unusual thing was taking place though.
There was a hushed "awe" in this big crowd.
People were either talking low or they were whispering, as if this was a sacred moment not to be disrespected by loud noises. No one was talking on his or her cell phones! WOW!
You could feel the questions and the cries and thoughts of those standing there watching and looking up into the sky. You could sense the desperation of many wanting to know what to do in such and strange and dark time on planet earth and wondering why this event was taking place at this time!
We drove around the entirety of the hill's lower neighborhood road,
looking in amazement at all of the people, and a sudden wave
of what I would call "travail" moved me to tears and prayer.
Steve and I began to cry out the Father to touch the souls of those looking up into the sky, knowing that all of them are fully aware of the troubled days that they were living in. We prayed that they would risk and speak from their weary hearts to the God who hung those radiant planets that were glowing in the sky, just for them, just at this very moment in time.
God SO Loves the World!
He sent his Son...
…So the world might know His full expression of deep commitment to the people He created with the tips of His fingers and the breath of His being.
We saw more than just the "Star" that night! We saw people, engaging in wonder!
Of course we know it wasn’t "THE" Christmas Star shining so very brightly in the sky, on the longest and darkest day/night of the year! (The Winter Solstice), but doesn't the Lord create things that would show signs and wonders in the heavenlies?
WHY DID GOD ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN THAT NIGHT,
DURING THE CUSTOMARY SEASON ON EARTH WHERE PEOPLE CELEBRATE
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, WHEN THE EARTH WAS IN SUCH TURMOIL?
(And still is!)
Because He knows that if He can use something to draw people to himself,
He will do it!
Psalm 57:10-11 says,
“Your love is so extravagant it reaches to the heavens;
your faithfulness so astonishing it stretches to the sky!
Lord God, be exalted as you soar throughout the heavens.
May your shining glory be shown in the skies!
Let it be seen high above all the earth!”
Of course it’s was not the actual date of the birth of Jesus Christ in December,
nor was this the actual star that was seen by the shepherds and Wise men.
But God knows mankind knows the stories and that there was a Star to guide them, so, He wastes nothing in order to draw all men to himself.
"This is what I will do in the last days— I will pour out MY Spirit on everybody
and cause your sons and daughters to prophesy, and your young men will see visions
and your old men will experience dreams from God.
The Holy Spirit will come upon all my servants,
men and women alike, and they will prophesy.
I will reveal startling signs and wonders in the sky above,
and mighty miracles on the earth below. - Acts 2:17 -19
These planets would be closest to each other in the sky on Dec. 21, appearing only a tenth of a degree apart but they would remain in close alignment for a few days and would be easily visible to the naked eye when looking toward the slight southwest west just after sunset on first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
NOW! THIS IS THE PART WHERE THE KINDNESS
AND SUPERNATURAL TOUCH OF GOD,
TOOK PLACE FOR STEVE AND I!
We had had a very intense and sad family upset with some stressed out relatives the night before and had done a bit of damage control and counseling of everyone, but our hearts were hurting over words that had been spoken and the pain that they had caused for many. (Holidays can often bring out the dysfunctions and anger in some people who tend to not address personal issues.) We gently but firmly coached a few involved to see things more accurately and to go and correct there bad choice of words and apologize. They did, but the upset left everyone feeling grieved and raw.
On Christmas Eve we like to take a tray of home baked treats to a few of our neighbors and wish them a Joyful Christmas. I had asked Steve to run a final tray across the street to some neighbors who hadn’t been home earlier. As I was standing at the kitchen sink rinsing out a bowl that had held cookie dough, I was talking to the Lord and sharing my heart and sadness with Him about missing my precious Mother in Law, the strangeness of the dark world of a bio-terror weapon that was causing such fear and sickness, and the grief I felt after the tense family situation.
I asked Him to pour over Steve and I, his holiness and peace and I asked him to receive an offering of praise out of this sorrow, thanking him for coming to earth as a Savior in such a dark and wicked world.
I then had a thought that reminded me, that the “Christmas Star was still visible in the sky on that night and I realized the timing right then would be perfect to view from our front porch. We have this unusual glow in the West in the winter months when the sun is setting and I could see the hue as I walked toward our front door, which has glass in it.
As I stepped out onto the porch I could see the two stars, which were a bit more separated at this point, but absolutely clear.
What took place next was something I have no explanation
as to where it came from, but the timing of it
was so precise and overwhelming
that I just stood there in awe, and wept.
A CHORUS OF VOICES BEGAN SINGING SILENT NIGHT, Holy Night, Son of God, Loves Pure Light, Radiant beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of Redeeming Grace, Jesus Lord at thy birth, Jesus Lord at Thy Birth.
There were no instruments accompanying the voices and it wasn’t coming from a house or car nearby. It was out in the open air and reverberating over our street, softly and simply.
Steve was coming back across the street about the time the voices began to sing and we stood there on our lawn looking at the stars growing brighter as the sky grew darker, and marveled at this singing.
It was just one song. Then no more.
(We wondered if there was an outdoor service somewhere and maybe the sound was travelling, but the words were very clear and understandable.)
THE MOMENT WAS AS IF WE WERE SUSPENDED IN TIME, and the Presence of God softly fell on us and around us, and soothed our weary souls.
We felt His Rest come upon us, and understood the awe that the shepherds must have experienced on that first real nativity night when, “Suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”
-Luke 2:13-14
ALL I CAN TAKE AWAY FROM THESE EVENTS IS THAT GOD ALMIGHTY
SEES AND KNOWS EVERY MINUTE DETAIL OF OUR EVERY DAY.
He sees our struggles and our sorrows and our love for Him as well!
WE ARE IN A TIME LIKE NO OTHER TIME BEFORE ON EARTH, and yet the history of evil men and women attempting to stop the power of the Savior and the King of Heaven moving on earth among His people, has been a non-stop war since time began.
We are to be expecting HIS evidence in the earth with great exploits
and moves of His Dynamic Force.
He is not unaware of our great need for His Help and Protection from filthy and evil men and women who are given over to demonic possession.
We live in day and age where it will take Divine Intervention
to shake the lukewarm believer out of passivity,
and for the world to know that God is Sovereign.
BE READY AND EXPECT SIGNS AND WONDERS.
Test them. Be alert.
Be Ready to tell of the Wonders of His Love.
LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM!
AND
LET HEAVEN AND NATURE SING OF THE WONDERS OF HIS LOVE!
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Thank you. Copyright © 2021 THE MESSENGER " ˜ Mary Lindow
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