Joy to the World

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:11-14

It is December already and the count down is on for a new year. Where did the year go? Many people this time of year are focused on getting ready for Christmas and preparing for their traditions. Some people have family gatherings on Christmas Eve where a banquet is prepared for the invited relatives and gifts are wrapped and under the tree. Others go about it as if it were just another day. Some spend it alone because they have no relatives close by and still others dread this special day because of some pain or loss they experienced during this time some years ago.

For me, from the time I was 18, Christmas was always bittersweet. When I was a child, I counted the days till Christmas but after my 17th Christmas it became a time mingled with joy, sadness, and loss. Joy because it was Christmas! My favorite holiday! Sadness and loss because there were certain people I would not be able to share the joy of the holiday with. Funny thing, I didn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas then. I knew what it was or what it was supposed to be about but I didn’t understand. As a child it was a day where we would see relatives we hadn’t seen all year, open gifts, and eat good food. Now that I understand what the reason for this holiday is, I can step back and appreciate all the gifts I’ve been given through out the year; The gift of love, health, family, and most importantly salvation.

The day that Jesus was actually born is not certain but December 25th is the day that has been designated to remember His birth and what His birth meant to the world. His birth along with His death and resurrection, are a demonstration of God’s love for us. There is a song that says: How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many gods have poured their heart to
Romance a world that is torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me.
These words perfectly describe the reason we celebrate the birth of Jesus. When we consider all that He left behind to come and live among us, die for us, and ultimately save us, we can do nothing but be amazed. God’s love for us is so great that He sent His only Son to redeem us. Praise God!

Now as a married adult, the only tradition that my husband and I have on Christmas is that we get each other 3 gifts each and they are usually things that we have been wanting all year. Recently though, this past week to be precise, God has reminded me that material gifts are not important as long as you have Him. Psalm 37:4 says “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (KJV) My husband and I live in Florida with no immediate family close by. So it is pretty much just me and him. He never celebrated Christmas before he met me and I was used to being around family and the whole big shindig that comes with it. Since we have been in Florida it’s been just us and sometimes I feel the ache of having family close by to visit and share what God has been doing in our lives. Of course we call each other and send each other messages but it is not the same as seeing a dear face and squeezing them tight. It has been in my heart for many years to connect with my father’s side of the family but I didn’t know where to start and I didn’t have much information about them. In the past couple of days, God has given me that desire. I connected with my sister through Facebook and found out that my paternal grandmother and uncle live closer to me than I thought! God is amazing!!

This morning as I drove to work, I meditated on all that God has been doing in the past year in my life and I had to weep in His presence because He has been more than wonderful. I am filled with so much love and gratitude that I can barely contain it! This Christmas meditate on the blessings God has bestowed upon you and love on people – family, friends, someone you may not know but is in desperate need of it. Christmas is about sharing the gift that God so generously gave us – His son, His love. Tell others about Jesus and show them Jesus with love. Reflect on the goodness of God and His mercy on you and your loved ones. Whether or not you get those material gifts you wanted is not important when you see how much God loves you and how He keeps you. Share the joy of Christmas with others and treasure those moments God gives you with loved ones.

Merry Christmas!!

God bless you!