As we bid farewell to the Christmas season and walk forward into 2015, let’s take this final Christmas thought with us. In Jesus' birth, God came to be with his own. God through His son, Jesus, wanted to live lovingly among His chosen ones. However, they did not recognize Jesus as God’s Son and this pained God. They did not appreciate the light Jesus came to bring. Why? It was too bright for them to handle. It showed too much of what needed to be changed, and so they tried to snuff out that light. They thought they had but, as Christmas reminds us every year, Our God stayed anyway--and importantly--this light called Christ never, ever goes out!

Christ’s light brilliantly glows, pointing us in the direction God desires each of us to go.  Jesus’ ever-present brilliance beams no matter how dark our days become, or how strong the sinister forces try to lure us from Christ’s radiance and sparkle.

The lasting Good News the Christmas angels sang about is that Our God came to earth, yes, but the beauty is He stayed with us. Christ is still here! Our challenging task is to find the light where it shines the brightest --and that is--in one another no matter what shadows we may also cast.

Indeed, Jesus shines deeply in us all; no matter how difficult it is to see. And Jesus encourages us with these words: “Love one another as I have loved you.” When we do this, we can walk through any dark shadows cast and see Christ's bright light showing us the way.

When we see Christ in one another, we ease the pain God felt when His chosen people rejected His Son long ago. Our Christmas story proclaims who Christ is and shows us for what we are searching. Why not see this New Year as a true gift from God, and search daily for the Christ in one another. And each time we find Christ hidden in our neighbor, it will be our return gift to God. Now that’s a perfect New Year’s resolution!