12/19/2023
Last week I seriously said, without a drop of sarcasm, “Make sure to buy the family- sized bag of holiday M&Ms, because if the world ends we’ll want chocolate.”
This year has been a lot.
Christmas 2023 is a lot.
I don’t need to tell you why. Seems like every 4 to 6 hours something happens in our life or the lives of people we love or in the world that makes me say, “Wow, that’s a lot.”
This morning I was thinking about how much “a lot” life is right now, and having a bit of a pity party for us all who are in charge of making the holidays happen in our homes. And then I started thinking about the very first Christmas.
Traveling to your husband’s ancestral home because an oppressive ruling class wants to count how many of your people still exist is a lot.
Being 9 months pregnant is always a lot, totally independent of what century you’re in.
Giving birth in a barn without your mama there is a lot.
The first Christmas was A LOT all around.
Yet in the midst of all of that, there was inconceivable peace.
So, 2023 is a lot, but it isn’t the first time Jesus’ birth is going to be celebrated in the midst of “a lot.” Then, just like now, God’s promises endure.
Joy has come to the world, even though life is a lot.
Take heart, the first Christmas was a lot, too. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
Shared with permission from Big Books, Little Ears
