A season of hope: Christ with us

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted."

We are in a remarkable season in the life of Baptist Children's Homes (BCH); a season filled with renewal, vision, and purpose. God is stirring hearts and bringing fresh excitement as we join with churches across this state to be on mission together. We are prayerfully assessing all that God has entrusted to us, so that every gift can be fully aligned with His call to impact lives for His glory.

As Solomon wrote, there is a time to plant and a time to harvest. Each season carries its own challenges and, yes, sometimes pain, but those seasons are necessary for growth and for the harvest God has promised.

And now, as we enter the Christmas season, we are reminded that God Himself is Lord of every season. From the very beginning of time, He has orchestrated each moment of history according to His perfect plan. Scripture tells us that "when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son." The birth of Jesus was not random. It was the appointed time when Heaven broke into earth's story, and hope came wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Just as Christ entered a humble stable, God still meets us in unexpected places, amid our chaos, our pain, and our longing. The soft glow of a manger, the quiet watch of shepherds under a starry sky, and the songs of angels proclaiming peace all remind us that no darkness is too deep for His light, and no heart is beyond His reach.

Seasons change, but the love of Christ remains constant. It's not only organizations that walk through seasons; each of us does too. God uses these times to remind us that our lives on this earth are temporary, that even our bodies bear the marks of a fallen world. Yet within this reality lies a blessing: our temporary nature draws our hearts toward what is eternal.

And that's what Christmas is really about—the eternal breaking into the temporary. True peace and lasting joy are found not in our circumstances, but in the One who came to dwell among us. The angels declared it on that holy night: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men."

At BCH, we see these seasons play out every day in the children, families, and adults we serve. Some are walking through challenging seasons that feel endless, yet through Christ, we bring light that pierces the darkness, hope that warms the coldest nights, and reminders that no season lasts forever. Because of Jesus, every difficult chapter can become a story of redemption.

At Christmas, we remember that Jesus left Heaven and came to earth to walk alongside humanity—to walk in humanity. He took on flesh to experience and sympathize with us in every part of our brokenness. Jesus is our model. He entered the mess to redeem it, and He calls us to do the same: to walk in His way, to love deeply, and to reflect Him to a hurting world.

This calling is not always easy. Our human nature often craves comfort and simplicity, and the enemy is subtle in luring us toward ease, disguising self-protection as wisdom or safety. Yet God calls us to something far greater. We are not meant to live at a distance from the brokenness of the world, but to step courageously into it. You and I are called to embrace every season of life, to walk beside those who are hurting, and to bring the hope and healing of Christ into their pain, just as He first did that holy night in Bethlehem.

This is hard work, and I'll be honest, there are days in the hard and difficult that I wish the ease of life were common rather than uncommon. Yet the truth remains: a life spent chasing comfort is a life spent chasing the wind. True joy, purpose, and fulfillment are not found in the absence of struggle, but in faithful obedience, in saying yes to God even when the path is hard. It's often in the most difficult seasons that we see His power most clearly and His grace most fully displayed.

I am deeply encouraged by the BCH staff who embrace challenges every day. Those who serve faithfully in every role. Some serve in support roles as rope holders for our frontline missionaries who live with children and adults daily. They have stepped into service to Christ, choosing compassion over comfort and answering the call to love as Christ loves. They are missionaries on the front lines, serving in mission fields where, for many, the name of Jesus is heard for the first time.

This Christmas, we celebrate that God is still Emmanuel—God with us. He has not left us alone in our work or our weariness. He walks beside us, strengthens us, and fills us with His peace, like a guiding star shining over a darkened stable.

In Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper, the concluding words are these:

"Take your honored place, O Christ, as the all-satisfying Treasure of the world. With trembling hands before the throne of God, and utterly dependent on your grace, we lift our voice and make this solemn vow: As God lives, and is all I ever need, I will not waste my life . . . through Jesus Christ, Amen."

So let us take up this charge: to live with courage, compassion, and conviction. To embrace this Christmas season as a gift. May we live every day with hearts on mission determined that in this season, and in every season to come, we will not waste our lives.

The phrase "holding the rope" was first spoken by missionary William Carey. He said, "I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the rope." May we each be faithful to the part of the rope God has placed in our hands—especially in this season when we celebrate the greatest Gift ever given.

Written By David Melber, Chief Executive Officer