Christmas is most definitely my favorite time of the year!!! As we have done quite a bit of traveling in the last few weeks, the children have been able to see all the colorful lights and decorations from several parts of the country. They have caught the "Christmas fever"! Andrew got a camera for his birthday and all he has taken pictures of today are Christmas lights on houses and trees. Tonight, the restaurant we ate in had a huge moose out front decorated with lights!!! So, of course, he had to get a picture of it! Caleb has learned the word "lights" very well.
There is nothing like the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas - candy and cookies baking, lights and other colorful decorations, the cool, crisp air with snow falling, special music and the feeling in the air. Next year will be quite different for us. I am not sure exactly how we will celebrate Christmas but we will do what we can to make it a special day. For sure, it won't be cold! Even so, I will miss all the excitement and the feeling in the air. But I am thrilled in knowing that we are going to be able to introduce the Christ of Christmas to people who have never heard of Him!!! As we head full force into this wonderful season, may we not forget the true meaning of Christmas. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday. I was thinking of that today while traveling down the road listening to Christmas music. As I have pictured the nativity scene in my mind all of my life, it always seemed so peaceful to me. But, as I was going over the "Christmas story," I couldn't help but realize how much I had separated Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus from the hustle and bustle of Bethlehem. In my mind, I have pictured a quiet, peaceful stable in a still, noiseless night. Yes, I knew there was "no room in the inn" which was just another result of the busy time in Bethlehem. It had just become a mundane fact that I heard every year, I guess. My point is - the people of Bethlehem were so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the events going on surrounding the census that they weren't even aware of the newborn baby lying in a manger! How similar to today. People are so caught up in the "holiday spirit" that they forget or don't even know the real reason for the holiday. Even the shepherds in the fields were told by angels. The wisemen have always interested me in the fact that there is so little know of them. They knew the Saviour was to be born. They came from so far away to welcome Him. And the Lord protected them. All of this was going on in and around Bethlehem, yet no one knew of the excitement in the stable! As I contemplate next Christmas, my prayer is that in the hustle and bustle of city life, in a place where Christ is not known, God will protect us as He did the wisemen. They traveled from the east to worship. We will travel from the west to tell of the One whom they worshipped. What a mighty God we serve! May we be able to lead many to Him and in the end, may we be found faithful.
No comments:
Post a Comment