Tis the season to tell the story. It was a cold morning in December taking my pup outside to his usual front yard spot to make his markings 😉 As I scurried back to get warm inside, I happen to glance over while opening the front door discovering there nestled in the far corner of my front porch a medium brown box and another small flat packaging on top. I was excited as I had been expecting a Christmas garden flag and I was confident it had arrived! “Good boy Scooby” as I quickly removed his leash to release him inside while I turned back to grab the package and begin opening. To my delight, the garden flag in its clear packaging was indeed inside with the words, Jesus is the Reason for the Season.
I couldn’t wait to display its beauty for another moment! Eagerly I proceeded back outside into the cold with total disregard in leaving the warmth, with joy walking down the driveway to my mailbox admiring the details of this little garden flag. The image capturing the cross and complimentary poinsettias to match my outside decor of all things poinsettias and the fabric rich, thick and quite impressive but it was the message that overwhelmed me the most. God had done a deep supernatural work of the gospel message in me.
Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 16:17
As I was positioning the garden flag, I was overwhelmed with the goodness of God and the joy of salvation. Gratitude flooded me of God’s grace that I was truly saved and as best as my human mind could conceive the gospel of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for me. For the entire world. For all that would believe! Holy Spirit had made this sacrifice truly understood in my inner most being and as I looked upon what was once an empty garden flag stake, the message of Christmas’ greatest gift and purpose: Jesus is the Reason for the Season was now displayed proudly and is forever etched inside my heart.
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19
Love, Ashley Shuell, Journalist for Jesus ✍️
A.R.I.S.E from ash 