I bet you are doing Christmas right now. I bet you’re doing the impossible dance of December. A mashup of all the “normal” tasks with the added pile of Advent extras. Sure, our motives are meaningful and our intentions are true. But somewhere in between the services and sermons, the purchases and parties, the baking and bustling, we get a little lost. In the desire to “do Christmas” comes the realization that, “I probably didn’t.”
The real “doing” of Christmas is in the “being” moments. The pausing and pondering of this God baby gift that has come to earth because of love. For you. No assembly required. No strings attached. No sell by date or mail in rebate. This. Is. A. Gift. Here is your Christmas. Jesus.
In John 10, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” He comes to you, fully giving you the full life. He does the “doing” of Christmas so we don’t have to.
A few years ago my two kids, then 3 and 5, were playing with our nativity sets. I looked over and saw all the Josephs, Marys, shepherds, animals and a few Little People thrown in the mix, all crowded around the baby Jesus who was laying in the manger in the center of the stable. That image sucked out my breath. Beautiful and perfect. Here was this picture of the exact right thing to be doing at Christmas. Correction… not doing …”being” at Christmas. In that moment I desired to be one of those poorly painted plastic figures who were celebrating Christmas by being with Jesus. Crowd around Him, feel His love and being.
Simon Peter seems to have gotten it right in John 6:8, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” Where else would we want to be this season?
So here’s PLI’s Christmas gift to you: Take time out of your “doing” and spend some sacred moments being with your Savior.
Go. Right now. To a quiet place. By your Christmas tree, in a closet. To the sanctuary, where no one is around, plug in the decorations and worship. Experience the Christmas joy of being with your Savior. Here are some songs to sing, here is some Scripture to read. Dwell here. Be still. Know the baby came for you. This is Christmas. May it be Merry.
from the PLI Team
(written by Sarah Greiner) |