January Wonder
Oh my gosh, do you realize how many pine needles fall from a 10 foot Christmas tree? Last week when I was restoring our house to it’s pre-Christmas look I felt like we were growing an indoor putting green. Ridiculous.
I packed boxes, sealed boxes, and carried boxes to storage. And then the lights-Ughhh! Is it a sin to just throw-out the tree with the lights sill on it? Wasteful for sure, but my sanity is important too, isn’t it!
I’ve made comments and I’ve heard comments like, “I’m so glad Christmas is over. Now we can get back to normal”. And I agree as I really like a routine in my daily life and the month of December is anything but routine. The Christmas celebration is so full of expectation, excitement, parties, family gatherings, going and more going. Can we try to fit in one more activity? We all know that the real meaning of Christmas gets lost somehow….or for me it does. It’s hard to fight the December mania. And now, we’re on the other side and so happy it’s over for another year. The boxes are stored, the pine needles swept up, wreaths back in storage. Ah, life is normal again!
Do I really want normal though? Is the birth of Jesus already ‘just normal’ to me? Am I still amazed that He came into this world for me and you? Is Christmas over inside of me? Was it over for Mary and Joseph? Was it over for the shepherds? Surely not, because you and I have heard their stories. If it had been treated as normal news, we would have never heard of Christ’s birth into our world. The shepherds would have continued in the same, old routine.
Did the months after Jesus’ birth bring newness? Did His birth bring renewed life and hope? Does that newness exist in my heart and life today? Or have I continued in the routine? Have I been like the shepherds spreading this amazing story of the Child. Or am I more caught up in boxes and bows? These are questions I’m pondering these days.
The Christmas season has come and gone. Instead of being glad it’s all over, I want Christmas to come and stay inside me. I want today to be Christmas in my mind, in my heart, in my actions, in my love, in my giving, in my service, in my devotion, in my study, in my worship….in my all.
It's just as real today. He is born. Who can I tell? Who hasn't heard?
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Luke 2:16-18
