A couple of weeks ago, my pastor asked me if I would be willing to light the Christ candle at Christmas Eve church, read a verse, and maybe even read something that I might write. I said yes before I could talk myself out of it, which I knew I would do in a short amount of time if I was given the opportunity. You see, I am not really fond of speaking in front of groups of people, and even though I know almost everyone in my church family, standing up front and talking in front of all of them… is unappealing. I would much rather write something and just leave it for others to read on their own.
So, naturally (haha), I said yes.
I decided my best approach was to pray about what to write, which I did, and then (im)patiently waited for an idea to flow. A few days passed before late one night, when I couldn’t sleep due to pain, an idea sparked into sentences and I text myself the very beginning of a rough draft.
I worked on it a bit the next day, and then got distracted.
So, I waited a few more days, and then let the remaining words flow through my fingers, onto the keyboard, to be printed onto my screen.
It was a bit lengthy, but the idea behind it was genuine, and it seemed to be the only thing I could think of to write about.
Fast forward to this afternoon, I was preparing for church, and trying to print out the two pages I had developed, and for the first time since buying it, my printer decided it was going to give me issues. First, it was low on ink. Then, I couldn’t get the ink cartridge area open. So, I googled the issue, switched the ink out, and then wouldn’t you know it… there was a paper jam. I couldn’t find a paper inside the printer ANYWHERE, so I decided to try and print again. I printed, but it looked like someone had taken the top half of all the letters and slid them to the left about a centimeter, and it was incredibly difficult to decipher, even though I knew what it said. I tried again, and it printed a little more clearly, but still not in a way I was comfortable trying to read from. Suddenly, the jammed piece of paper popped out, so I figured I was good to go. I was wrong. I wasted 12 more pages of printed text that looked like I was trying to read through someone else’s glasses, or those drunk goggles you used in high school learning about drinking and driving. It was terrible! It was also a half an hour until church started. I tried one more time, and finally, a version that was mostly legible popped out, and I gave up so we could go.
Tonight, I stood in front of our church, recorded and broadcasted live over the internet (so nerve-wracking), lit the Christ candle after only two clicks of the silly lighter (I hate those things), read Luke 1:14, and then my 3 minute piece. I’m sure my voice trembled and my daughter said I looked nervous, but I was nervous, so I’m not surprised. My children all said I did a good job, and the message was good.
After I left church tonight, I decided that maybe I should share the rough, unedited, longer version on my blog, in case there is someone out there who needs to read it, for whatever reason. So, without further adieu, here is the long, first draft of how the Christmas Story spoke to me this year, and became more relatable than ever before.
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In the hustle and bustle, mingle and jingle of the holiday season, I find myself captivated by the sounds, the sights, the flavors and scents that evoke emotions and memories of Christmases past, and rejuvenate anticipation of Christmases coming. I can be overtaken by the sparkle and the joy in the atmosphere, the smiles and friendly warmth of many you come across, but also the very real truth of heartache for others, activating my empathy and compassion just a little bit more.
It’s easy to get caught up in the here and now of the Christmas season, or to reminisce on both good and bad memories of the Christmases we have already been through. It’s so easy to buy the gifts, to sing the songs, watch those movies, to decorate the trees and homes, send the cards, fill those red buckets, recreate your family traditions, and say “Merry Christmas” to those who cross your path.
It’s so easy to forget to see the days blitz by without reflecting deeply on the true meaning of Christmas, until Christmas Eve church, a lot of times. We know both in our hearts and our minds what the real meaning of Christmas is, but it’s just so easy to get caught up in the festivity of it all.
For many, myself included at times, even knowing the meaning of Christmas, the Christmas story seems like it’s so far removed from our modern day life, that it’s just a beautiful, true story that reminds us that Jesus is the reason for the season, and that God so loved us that he gave Jesus to us as the best Christmas gift ever.
This year, life circumstances have slowed me down, yet again, and I have had ample time to sit and reflect just a little bit more on what Christmas means.
This year, I have spent hours creating decorations with scenes from the Christmas story, the manger, the angels, the wise men, the shepherds, and as I’ve sat with Christmas in my heart, I’ve come to find that the Christmas story is much more relatable than I ever realized before.
As I sat in silence, painting the starry night sky, I began to see the myself in the parts of the Christmas story. I wonder if you can see yourselves scattered throughout the story, too.
In a way, I feel like we are all a little bit like Mary, believing in God, waiting for him to speak to us- to give us a sign, a word, a plan. Sometimes, he surprises us, and shows up in a way we never imagined, asking us to things we never saw ourselves doing. And like Mary, we sometimes say yes. We invite him within us to fulfill this plan he has spoken over us, and in doing so, we birth Light and Love into this world to change it for the better. We may not always know what we have gotten ourselves into, but we trust that he will guide us, just like he guided her all those centuries ago.
In a way, we are all a little bit like Joseph. Sometimes, we make plans, and we end up blindsided by the way things end up panning out. We occasionally get thrown a curveball that sends us well out of our comfort zones, and on a long, arduous journey where we feel out of control. Sometimes, there’s panic and frustrating urgency, trying to get everything lined up according to our own plan, searching for comfort and security and a place we see fit for whatever is coming next, all while trying to meet a deadline. We run into doors being shut right in front of us and other obstacles on our journey. We find that we must relinquish control and just let God lead us on our way. He has a destination and an outcome in mind and it may be beyond anything we’ve ever seen coming.
We are all like the shepherds. The shepherds, who at the time of the Savior’s birth, were minding their own business, off in the hillside, on a quiet, peaceful night. They were undoubtedly disheveled, likely smelly, and probably socially awkward outcasts, just doing the one thing they did best to provide in this world. There they were, just doing their own thing. And suddenly an angel appeared to them. While we may not have knowingly seen angels in our lifetimes, we, like the shepherds, have heard joyous heavenly messages that have completely shattered the mundane moments we find ourselves in, and change the course of our lives. Or, at least, I hope that we have, or will, at some point. This is also a clear demonstration that God doesn’t see us for our rank or notoriety, and he is willing, able, and excited to bring his message to even the outcasts, the lower society, the “nobodies” of the world. I believe at some point, we have probably all seen ourselves as a nobody, but how amazing is it that when we peer into the Christmas story, we can see that even THEN, God is excited to speak to us. Like the shepherds, those words from Abba spark joy inside of us, and should lead us to shout from the mountains, the valleys, or plateaus of our lives the good news of Jesus in our world.
We are like the angels as well, in some ways. It is in our love and admiration for our Father in heaven that we sing, we exhale, we praise Him. Our worship and praise rings out to those around us, breaking up the darkness with a divine splendor, echoing in hearts all around. Like the angels, we live to spread the news, share the promises of heaven, and inspire the lives of those around us. In some instances, we may even be like Gabriel, in that we have heard a specific message from the Father, and through his voice and urging, we are able to tell others that God has something unique and wonderful in store for them if they choose to say yes! Yes, like the angels, we can hear our Father’s voice.
We are all like the wise men, (and even that fictitious little drummer boy). While we all come from different backgrounds, upbringings, families, and economic standpoints, just like these people, because we love and revere Jesus, we long to bring gifts. We shower him with these gifts, whatever they may be. For some, their gift is song, like the legend of the drummer boy. For others, their gift is more tangible, like that of the wise men. Each of us has our own unique giftings, and Jesus loves when we use those gifts to honor Him. In honoring Jesus with our gifts, we are also blessing others. If you think about it, in the Christmas story, the gifts that were brought were for baby Jesus, but he was not the only person there who could benefit or be impacted by them. The scents and splendor of spices would carry through the air to anyone in the babe’s vicinity. The sparkle of gold would bring beauty to the atmosphere. A song of love and worship catches in the hearts of others and brings radiance and joy to their spirits as well.
Perhaps most importantly, God calls us to be like Jesus, who entered the world, hungered, grew, and learned as we do. He entered the world the same way we all did, hungered as we do, grew, learned, walked, and lived alongside others, just as we do. His miraculous entrance to the world as a mere human baby led showed us how to live and love as God calls us to. We are one with the Father, just like Jesus. We were born at the perfect time, for a perfect plan, just as Jesus.
Each of these characters is integral to the Christmas story. I hope, like me, with a bit of pause, you can see the Christmas story is not only one of the first Christmas, but a relatable representation of where we’ve been with Jesus, where we are now, and the places we will continue to go on our journey with Papa God.
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Merry Christmas, everyone!
