For unto US a child is born...

This is a thought from Krista Oakes who wrote a book on infertility from an LDS perspective. The thought came from a message board that I follow sometimes. Anyway it just really lifted my spirits this season and I wanted to leave it here for others to enjoy also:

Christmas is all about a baby who was born under normally impossible conditions. Mary was a virgin and as such had a 0% chance of conceiving naturally. But God had a plan, and the miracle happened. The baby we celebrate at Christmas is our Savior, who lived and took upon himself all that we must bear in this life. He triumphed over it all. He is the great source of hope for us, no matter our circumstance. As the scriptures say, "for unto US a child is born." He was born for all of us, and I am happy to celebrate his coming into the world. There are so many things that can distract us from that reality of Christmas, but if we keep our eye on the Savior it is a joyous time of year.

I also love the Christmas story, because it tells us of another baby who was born -- this time to Elisabeth, who was post-menopausal. You've heard me talk about their story before. She and her husband Zacharias were righteous temple workers who lived in a culture that considered fertility to be a sign of God's favor. We can relate to their frustration, as they surely wondered why their prayers for a child went unanswered. I can imagine their despair when Elisabeth reached menopause. And then - finally - their son John was born, in another miracle that fulfilled a specific purpose at a specific time. I love hearing these reminders that children come when and how they are supposed to, regardless of the obstacles that would make it otherwise impossible. With God, nothing is impossible.

We are blessed and we are loved -- all of us are. We may have righteous desires that are unfulfilled, and our longing is evidence of our righteousness. But we can rejoice in the child who was born "unto us" more than two millennia ago. Because of him we have so much to be grateful for, and so much to look forward to. Today's pains will ultimately be swallowed up in mercy and joy as we come unto him. I know this to be true, and I am so thankful for that knowledge