I agree if you think springing forward is hard. This morning, I witnessed the sun coming up one hour later. Everything was dark until 8:00 AM. This shouldn’t happen on a Sunday! It’s hard enough for children’s ministry workers to make it out the door on a regular day, let alone one that has had an hour stolen from it. Daylight Savings Time and children’s ministry do not mix well.
What would the day after the first Christmas have looked like? How would the day after the shepherds have looked?
I think back to the days after my children were born. We were grateful for the grandparents’ help. Our small group made sure we were well fed and cared for. At the same time, we were exhausted and equally thankful when we were home and the excitement had died down… then came the work of raising a brand new human!
How was it for the new parents? No grandparents were nearby. All the support was ninety miles away in Nazareth. Did they help from others that were brought together for the census?
Maybe it was a silent night, but the next day was probably a cacophony of noise, smells, and activity. It makes me that much more thankful that hope, light, and love had come.
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.”
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol (AmazonClassics Edition) (p. 97). Amazon Classics. Kindle Edition.
It’s Christmas morning! we have made it through the hustle and bustle. Now it is time to settle down with our favorite hot beverage, check out what is under the tree, and wish our loved ones a Merry Christmas!
Ebenezer Scrooge is one of my favorite literary characters. He is a reminder no one is beyond redemption. It is full of reckoning, suspense, and grace. A Christmas Carol reminds me that anyone can have a second chance.
To be honest, I struggle with that once in a while. I am sure we all do. There is someone that hurt us, a person that feels justified in their actions that makes it hard to forgive and welcome them with Christmas cheer. If we’re honest, all of us can think of someone right now.
But on this day, let us have nothing but peace on earth, goodwill to all. Let us honor Christmas in our hearts, and try to keep it all year long. May your day be blessed!
Happy Christmas Eve! The light is coming tonight!
“In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.”
Francis Bacon Quotes.” BrainyQuote.com. BrainyMedia Inc, 2021. 24 December 2021. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/francis_bacon_119506
Francis Bacon
I took this photo several Christmas Eves ago. It was a snowy night and I noticed how our lamp shone in the darkness so brightly. It was a beacon to all who were coming to our house that evening. Without the lamp, it would have been easy to slip and trip.
In the background, a neighbor has his Christmas lights going. Many of us love to put up Christmas lights. Of course, that can get some of us in trouble! But we are willing to take the risk in order to bring a little brilliance to the darkness.
Last night, I was wrapping things up at work and left around 6:00 PM. I was surprised when I left because it was so dark outside. It felt like it was the middle of the night. I was thankful for the parking lot lights. I rarely think about them any other time. Most times, I am gone before they light up. But I was thankful for them that evening.
Unfortunately, we don’t think much about illumination until we need it. Then we can be caught off guard. We grab our flashlight only to discover the batteries are dead. We can’t find the candles we stashed away, nor a lighter. Then we think of our cell phone light only to remember you needed to charge it. Light is something we take for granted until we are stumbling around in the dark, seeking it.
So this Christmas Eve, let’s remember that the light is coming. May it light our ways and remember there is hope, joy, and peace for those who seek it.
Frequently, we feel less peace and joy and more Christmas stress. With two days to go, it feels like the stress level has gotten to an all-time high.
Christmas stress has always been prevalent. I wrote about it and drew this cartoon in 2012. But of course, the last two years have had added layers of stress. We just don’t know what the future holds. Short-term and long-term planning seems impossible.
What do we do when the stress is getting to us? How can we keep from taking it out on our loved ones with a strategically placed wreath? Slow down, take a deep breath and remember the reason for the season.
“When they [Magi or Wise Men] saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Matthew 2:10–11 (KJV) via Bible Gateway.com
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.”
Why do we celebrate? It isn’t about any of these:
It is about a baby and the hope he brought a cold, dark world. The winter solstice has come and the days are already getting longer. Winter will be here for a while, but summer is coming. The Light of the World has come into the world as well. We can slow down, celebrate, and know things will be all right.