Matthew 1:21 NLT
And she will
have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people
from their sins.
Christmas
is more than a day out of our calendar year.
I have heard as long as I can remember that for the Christian we ought
to have Christmas every day of the year.
Yet if we take a survey of the people around us, there will be as many
memories, as many definitions, as many traditions as the amount of people you
ask.
The
only thing that changes the celebration and tradition of Christmas for me is
the understanding I have of who Jesus is and what Jesus did. Does that make sense? In 7 days we will celebrate a day, a special
day.
But
wait. When we had kids, things changed
for our Christmas. I love the look on
our kid’s faces when they open a present.
Their hearts and minds seem to be wide open. That again is what happens when we come face
to face, or better yet heart to heart, with Jesus. He changes us. He gives us a new view of Christmas and the
reason why this holiday, or holy day, is ours.
Take a
few minutes to read and think through this quote:
God came to us because he wanted to
join us on the road, to listen to our story, and to help us realize that we are
not walking in circles but moving towards the house of peace and joy.
This is the great mystery of Christmas that continues to give us comfort and
consolation: we are not alone on our journey. The God of love who gave us
life sent his only Son to be with us at all times and in all places, so that we
never have to feel lost in our struggles but always can trust that he walks
with us.
The challenge is to let God be who he
wants to be. A part of us clings to our aloneness and does not allow God
to touch us where we are most in pain. Often we hide from him precisely
those places in ourselves where we feel guilty, ashamed, confused, and
lost. Thus we do not give him a chance to be with us where we feel most
alone.
Christmas is the renewed invitation not
to be afraid and to let him-whose love is greater than our own hearts and minds
can comprehend-be our companion.
- Henri
Nouwen, Gracias
That
Jesus not only saved people but that He came to earth to give us an opportunity
for peace, joy, hope and love weighs heavy on my mind. We literally miss who God made us to be and
the peace He wants us to have when we cut ourselves off from Him. To cut ourselves off doesn’t make us lose our
salvation. It keeps from experiencing
freedom and joy.
I want
that freedom. He meets us in our prison
or in our pain and gives us the key to the door of freedom. God brings us new possibilities as we
recognize His presence, enjoy spending time with Him and celebrate Christ as we
do at Christmas.
John 1:14 NLT
So the Word became human and made his home among us.
He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the
Father’s one and only Son.
It is
7 days till Christmas. Let’s make sure
our celebration goes beyond one day and lasts forever. Praise God for His presence among us.
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