She gave birth to her firstborn son…..Luke 2:7a
I always get a little melancholy at this time of year. There’s so much to do between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Purchasing and wrapping gifts, putting up decorations both inside and out, scrubbing the house for the guests who will soon arrive, baking cookies and making candy….the list goes on and on. There’s no time to kick back and put your feet up. We just keep going until suddenly we realize the day has come and gone. The guests all headed back home, leaving a mountain of laundry to be washed, cookie crumbs scattered all over the floor, and maybe they’ll even leave a little respiratory bug behind! There could be one roaming around our house. And of course, getting a hug from a lively grandchild can also leave you with a black eye! I’m just sayin’….it could happen!
But we wouldn’t have it any other way. We love to see the smiling faces of kids when a treasured gift is opened. We love to share the stories of family life over and over again. We love to eat so much that we feel as if we’ll explode. But when it’s over, the letdown is a little tough for me to handle. Trading the excitement for the mundane makes me sad.
I tussle with myself as to when I should remove the decorations, knowing that I won’t see them for eleven months and, at my age, who knows what those eleven months may hold. So, as I box up all the treasures we’ve collected over the years, I create a mental catalog of each one that I can call up anytime I want, and savor the joy of the season.
You may recall that I wrote about our wonderful lighted globe depicting Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. That one is exceptionally difficult to pack away. It has meant so much to me this year. When I was overwhelmed with preparations and all the secular aspects of our “winter holiday,” it gave me hope that people would hear the Christmas story again or, perhaps, for the first time, and they would draw closer to learn more.
The virgin birth is more, much more, than a Christmas story; it is a picture of how close Christ will come to you. The first stop on his itinerary was a womb. Where will God go to touch the world? Look deep within Mary for an answer.
Max Lucado, Everyday Blessings
Perhaps they’ll be ready to really hear the story of why Jesus left the glory of heaven to experience a human birth, to grow up in a house full of siblings and friends, to follow his dad, Joseph, to the carpentry shop and work with his hands, to be a human in every respect. And perhaps, they’ll be willing to journey through His adult life, witness the miracles that followed Him everywhere; the healings, the resurrections, and, when the time came, His own excruciating death and the wonder of His resurrection. It’s overwhelming to try and wrap our heads around the entire scope of what Jesus did just because He loves us.
…..look deep within yourself. What he did with Mary, he offers to us! He issues a Mary-level invitation to all his children, “If you’ll let me, I’ll move in.” Max Lucado, Everyday Blessing
What an incredible promise….Jesus living within us! I can almost feel what Mary felt when she knew she carried the Son of God within her. I’m so blessed to carry Him in my heart every day. My prayer is that if you haven’t opened the door, you’ll open it and let Him “move in” to your heart too.
As we depart 2025 and prepare for the journeys and adventures of 2026, let’s all strive to keep one resolution….to live more like Jesus.
