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Christmas
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given..." We will soon be hearing that familiar verse. Christmas is fast approaching; and as wonderful as this time of the year is, it can also be rather daunting.
We get pulled in so many different directions, don't we? There are family and extended family gatherings, school programs, office parties, church programs, and dinners ... not to mention all the decorating, shopping, wrapping, shipping, baking, and cooking that needs to get done.
Here is my yearly struggle: How do I keep in focus that the reason I am doing all of this is because a Son was given? How do I make sure that that is what I am celebrating?
This may sound crazy, but sometimes I wish that we'd celebrate Christmas by spending prolonged periods of time staring at the night sky. After all, wise men did it and it led them to Him.
I find that staring at the sky centers me. It reminds me that there is so much more to life than the problems of my little existence. That the Hand that placed each star in its precise location has a plan that will withstand. And that eternity is never in a hurry. It quietly proclaims that its beauty is but a glimpse of its powerful Creator who longs for me to know just how much it means that a Son was given.
I sometimes wonder ... if I could look into the eyes of my Lord during this holiday frenzy ... what would I see? I think I'd see longing. A longing for us to stop for a while and just listen. For the angels who sang to the shepherds so long ago still sing in awe of the love of the One who being all-powerful chose to become a helpless infant sent to a world that did not have room for Him.
The wonderful thing is that today, thanks to the miracle of that birth that took place so long ago, we can make room for Him in a place where He longs to be ... We can make room for Him in our hearts.
--Maria Lund