God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile.

Title: God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile.
 
Reading: He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. John 1:10-11.
 
Good morning, happy Friday, and many blessings my dear family. And keep in mind that life is not life without God by our side. He is the reason why we are alive. May this year come with lots of laughter and an abundance of blessings. Happy New Year and may all your wishes come true. I hope each day of the coming year is filled with success and prosperity.
 
We Jesus-followers have spent all Advent waiting for the light, pushing back against the darkness by lighting one more candle each week.  In today’s Gospel (John 1:1-18) we learn that “In the beginning was the Word.”  These words are the opening words in John’s Gospel. There is great power in these words, simple as they are.
 
John then speaks about John the Baptist who was sent to testify to the Light.  Light is a wondrous gift – a gift we often take for granted. In the Midwest, the days of winter are short and typically there is not much sunshine.   Now ask yourself: what difference does light make in your life?  It may be the light generated by the sun or light generated by a lamp or light fixture.  Just imagine what would life be like without any light!
 
Light can make all the difference in the world. For many people, on sunny days it is easier to be optimistic and happy. When the weather is gray and gloomy for several days, we may struggle to be optimistic. The clouds and darkness may seem to weigh us down.  The gift is that we have Jesus the Light with us each moment of every day.  Sad to say, I suspect that we are not always tuned in to His presence.  Yet, it is true!  Jesus “the Light” is always with us!  
 
This is the reason why we need to understand that the story of Jesus is not just the story of a man. The story of Jesus is not just the story of a family, or even a baby. The story of Jesus is the story of God: of God’s loving acts of creation. In and through the coming of Jesus, God is creating again something new, a new reality. The story of Jesus is a story as fundamental as darkness and light. It is as elemental as the turning of the planet, away from the sun, and then back again.
 
A dance of light and darkness has been going on since the beginning of time, and the light is essential. In Jesus, a kind of light came into our world that can never be fully extinguished: the light of God’s love. The light is God’s elemental message to us, God’s way of speaking to us on an almost sub-rational level, a level before language. 
 
Jesus Christ is God’s Great Communication to us, God’s communication of light that does not go out, no matter what kind of darkness we find ourselves in. God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile. Happy New Year. Do not be afraid to face life. This New Year has a lot of promises for us. Trust God and everything will be fine. Happy blessing New Year!
 
Blessings,

Luis+