Why do we take this for granted? It is so easy to forget and to focus on other less important things. There are so many distractions everywhere. So many places to go, family and friends to see, gifts to buy, trees to decorate, lights to put up, giant blown-up snowmen to place in our front yards. Santa Claus has become the center of the season. St. Nicholas, the one who gave gifts and snuck away before he was caught, I guess he tried that trick one too many times. Now he is all people can talk about when the Christmas season arrives and I'm sure he didn't plan for that.
December is a time when most people are expected to be happy, laughing constantly, and eating candy, spending money like there is no tomorrow and we all seem to expect that it will all be grand, lovely and fun, but it never seems to turn out that way in the end. I always forget this. When autumn turned to winter I found myself thinking about all of the pretty snow that would fall and the glamour of the beautiful, snowy season. I began to look forward to Christmas once again. Yet after a few months of that pre-holiday bliss I am suddenly awakened to the fact that Christmas is not all that fun after all. It is not fun when there is more sorrow than happiness, more taking than giving, and more strife than peace. There are unexpected funerals taking place or other such unpleasant occurrences that create an unsettled feeling deep down inside.
My Dad is constantly “on call” for these funerals and as I write this he is preparing for another service that will take place later today. He rarely asks favors of me, but yesterday he was running short on time and he asked that I copy out the obituary for him. I did not know the person who passed away, but as I was typing out the short column that was supposed to portray a summary of their life, the page before me blurred and I suddenly found tears streaming down my face that would not be stopped. This person has left behind family and children, the youngest being only 2 years old. That little one will never fully know their parent on a personal level. They will have to be raised by another and not feel the love in that parents embrace ever again on this earth. There are so many people who go through the pain of losing a loved friend or family member and I cannot begin to imagine the pain they are feeling at this time. How will that family enjoy the holidays this year?
I wonder how God enjoyed that first Christmas long ago when He sent His precious Son into the world as a vulnerable little baby! I wonder how much pain it must have caused when He placed Him in this evil world... to be raised amidst sin and hatred and violence. He sent Him to die. Did he enjoy that? No, I am sure that He did not! It must have been so painful for Him. Yet He did it for us. He sent His wonderful perfect Son to us, mere humans, to die a horrible death, be beaten, be wrongfully accused, abused and physically destroyed so that we may be saved from our sins and have eternal life. For us! He did raise Him back to life again on the third day and I am so glad! That is pretty amazing.
Only a loving God could sacrifice so much for our gain. We have no idea how much he loves us all. He is awesome and we need to be grateful to Him at all times. In Him and only Him is there hope! He knows the future, He has a good plan, He provides for us and all of our needs. With Him we can have Joy amidst this pain! Joy! Real Joy! A real joyful smile! Is it possible? YES! It is Him who we need to focus on this Christmas. It is the Salvation that has been given so freely that we should be thankful for. The most wonderful gift ever given in the history of time! God’s Son, Jesus Christ! God is love. So let’s recieve Love and tell the world about Him. I want to celebrate CHRIST this year! He is the One who gives us true Love, Joy and Peace! Thank you for the best present ever, Dear God! I love you!
