Yesterday I met a woman at the dentist office, of all places, and I asked if she was ready for Christmas! She said, "UGH, I cannot wait for it to be over!"
I smiled and said, "A lot of stress?" she laughed and said, "shopping, wrapping, kids are home from school and they are fighting, driving different places...." I could tell she was stressed and needing a vacation.
I continued to talk to her and said a prayer for her and thought to myself. She is right!
We are busy baking, buying, decorating, wrapping, traveling, running around like chickens with our head cut off, worrying about if a certain person will even like the gift we bought them. Kids may be fighting more and it feels like the craziest time of the year, but as I sit here writing this and smelling the savory aroma of coffee brewing, Christmas lights are lit and my sweet little cat is purring beside me, I cannot help but think, we have made Christmas what it is NOT supposed to be.
Now, I have said this before, this is my favorite time of year, although I am having a talk with the Lord about why there is no snow. I pray every year for a blizzard on Christmas so we can be trapped in the house, baking, and jamming to Amy Grant Christmas, but the Lord, for some reason, is insisting on giving us rain!
Despite the rain, this is supposed to be the most peaceful time of the year! A time for family, and giving a present, not because its the most expensive gift, but that it came from your heart. It is a time when kids can relax from their studies and we can reflect on Christmas's past. A time for giving cookies and homemade dog treats to all the neighbor families and dogs! It is about being together and laughing and building memories that will be passed down for generations to come. It is about reading the Bible to your kids so they understand that Santa is NOT the reason for the season, but Jesus is!
God sent himself down into a virgins womb and was born in Bethlehem. In a busy time of chaos, all the inns were full and Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken so that all the people could be taxed. Folks were running around all over and making there way to be registered. If you ask me, I am sure they were not happy about paying taxes. I would imagine there was a lot of grumbling and complaining going on. There had been prophets in the past saying to hold out because there will be a time when the true Messiah will come, and I can imagine during this time no one was thinking about the One True King. They were thinking about themselves and all the money they had to pay.
I imagine absolute chaos and discouraged people in the Roman world. But on this very day when people were thinking, it cannot get any worse than this, a baby was born in Bethlehem.
Folks, Jesus was not born in a Hilton with heavenly beds! He was born in a stable with animals, and with animals comes animal poo. I cannot imagine giving birth in a barn. That is the lowliest of lowly, but humbly our Lord came to us and humbly our Lord died. His life was but a humble one. He was not loved by all. He did not have Nike shoes and Abercrombie jeans. He did not have a huge mansion on a hill while on this earth, although he does now, but he lived among the poor. He spent time with the sick and needy. He wanted them to see there is hope beyond measure, even when we cannot see it.
I love Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
During this Christmas season please fight the temptation to make this about chaos and who gets the best gift and the money spent, but instead about the humble Christ child that was born amongst animal poo. Do not make this season about Santa and the North Pole, but make sure your children know that Jesus was born. Hug your family members! Smile to the people you see at the store, or the dentist, and share the reason that we celebrate Christmas!
"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests!"
I smiled and said, "A lot of stress?" she laughed and said, "shopping, wrapping, kids are home from school and they are fighting, driving different places...." I could tell she was stressed and needing a vacation.
I continued to talk to her and said a prayer for her and thought to myself. She is right!
We are busy baking, buying, decorating, wrapping, traveling, running around like chickens with our head cut off, worrying about if a certain person will even like the gift we bought them. Kids may be fighting more and it feels like the craziest time of the year, but as I sit here writing this and smelling the savory aroma of coffee brewing, Christmas lights are lit and my sweet little cat is purring beside me, I cannot help but think, we have made Christmas what it is NOT supposed to be.
Now, I have said this before, this is my favorite time of year, although I am having a talk with the Lord about why there is no snow. I pray every year for a blizzard on Christmas so we can be trapped in the house, baking, and jamming to Amy Grant Christmas, but the Lord, for some reason, is insisting on giving us rain!
Despite the rain, this is supposed to be the most peaceful time of the year! A time for family, and giving a present, not because its the most expensive gift, but that it came from your heart. It is a time when kids can relax from their studies and we can reflect on Christmas's past. A time for giving cookies and homemade dog treats to all the neighbor families and dogs! It is about being together and laughing and building memories that will be passed down for generations to come. It is about reading the Bible to your kids so they understand that Santa is NOT the reason for the season, but Jesus is!
God sent himself down into a virgins womb and was born in Bethlehem. In a busy time of chaos, all the inns were full and Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken so that all the people could be taxed. Folks were running around all over and making there way to be registered. If you ask me, I am sure they were not happy about paying taxes. I would imagine there was a lot of grumbling and complaining going on. There had been prophets in the past saying to hold out because there will be a time when the true Messiah will come, and I can imagine during this time no one was thinking about the One True King. They were thinking about themselves and all the money they had to pay.
I imagine absolute chaos and discouraged people in the Roman world. But on this very day when people were thinking, it cannot get any worse than this, a baby was born in Bethlehem.
Folks, Jesus was not born in a Hilton with heavenly beds! He was born in a stable with animals, and with animals comes animal poo. I cannot imagine giving birth in a barn. That is the lowliest of lowly, but humbly our Lord came to us and humbly our Lord died. His life was but a humble one. He was not loved by all. He did not have Nike shoes and Abercrombie jeans. He did not have a huge mansion on a hill while on this earth, although he does now, but he lived among the poor. He spent time with the sick and needy. He wanted them to see there is hope beyond measure, even when we cannot see it.
I love Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
During this Christmas season please fight the temptation to make this about chaos and who gets the best gift and the money spent, but instead about the humble Christ child that was born amongst animal poo. Do not make this season about Santa and the North Pole, but make sure your children know that Jesus was born. Hug your family members! Smile to the people you see at the store, or the dentist, and share the reason that we celebrate Christmas!
"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests!"
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