Author: John Blase
ISBN: 978-1-4347-6465-2

Click Here To Purchase Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas

 I just love a week where I receive not one but two FANTASTIC books in the mail.  I feel like Christmas has come early.  And, speaking of Christmas...

This book allowed me to take the time to catch up with my very best and dear, old Friend.  Touching Wonder is literally a book that will re-instill your faith in the Nativity story.  I've never had the privilege of hearing this story told to me in such a mind-blowing, wonderful way.  Let me explain.  Each chapter begins with what was said in the Bible regardng this amazing facet of Christian history.  Well...human history, to me.  Jesus has always been my Friend, but now, after reading these pages, I can actually feel how closely the two of us are connected.  The author tells us the inner thoughts and feelings of the mighty characters that make up the Christmas story.  And, in doing so, allowed me to get a look inside an archangel's mind.  The angels tell me why, when they sang to the shepherds in the field that night, that it was for many reasons. 

Not only were they there to tell the shepherds of the glorious happenings of the evening, but they were also there because they needed to hallow the ground where Rachel would weep over her sons.  The angel tells me about Herod's rage and how the young, firstborn lives were slaughtered so that he could remain the one king on the land. 

I cried out loud when God, The Mighty One, told the angels to sing louder, and I had to take a deep breath when the Angel told me that, although he and his friends didn't "exist in time, there are moments when the affairs of the earth are hard to endure."  I wonder about that.  I wonder how these mighty creatures endure the pain and agony that Mankind forces upon each other.  I wonder how they endure the fact that His people have chosen to take other peoples' lives.

I was also let in on Mary's moment.  I felt the fear of a teenage girl when she was told that she was to bring forth the Son.  She was a loving girl with the strength of a thousand men when she said, "Let it be to me."  She took on a chore that was beautiful, and made her truly blessed, but that scared her -  as it would any young girl who becomes a mother.  I was taken into the thoughts of her husband, who was simply a great man and a skilled carpenter.  The fear for his young wife; the anger he felt when he could not even find her a room, was staggering.  His love for God was great, but his love for his wife and the child was immense.  He wanted her to have a warm bed to sleep on, not hard, painful hay.  Mary, Joseph...they were told to me as real people who went through these trying, frightening, blessed times with strength, faith and virue - the likes of which aren't seen much anymore.  And they gave me hope.

I think my favorite section was when I was introduced to a young shepherd who slept in the fields.  There was an anger in him because he'd prayed for the life of his father, who was taken from him anyway.  He was given a gift that night - the night of miracles.  He realized that the uncle he was so unhappy with, who was taking care of him since his father's passing, was a true gift in his life.  When the young shepherd - Benjamin, was his name - looked at Joseph and asked him if he was the baby's father, Joseph said, "No.  But I'm keeping watch over Him for now," that's when Benjamin knew that he had a man just as kind in his own life - an uncle who could never be a father, but was definitely taking the time to keep watch over him. 

This book offers so many words of wisdom, intricately woven with real stories of real fear and real confusion from the hearts and minds of real people, that I was blown away.  The only part that really bothered me was the fact that the book was so small.  I could have read hundreds upon hundreds of pages by this brilliant author, but I guess I just have to settle for reading this thoughtful book once a week.

Like everyone, I'm confused; we all crave vengeance at one time or another; and we all look up at the sky during our most anxious and worrisome times, begging for Him to come and save us all.  But life is not about when we want things to happen, its when He does.  Although that's hard to swallow sometimes, He is a greal deal smarter than I am.  After all, he gave me my best Friend who I can always feel walking by my side...and keeping watch over me.  And that, I thank Him for.  

Until Next Time,

Amy

Click Here To Purchase Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas