Putting Away the Decorations

          The holiday season is over. The tree is down, the lights are off, and the decorations are packed. But what do we do with the Christ child? Do we wrap him in bubble wrap and place him in storage until next December? If we do, then we’ve missed the whole point of Christmas.

 Every child needs nourishment, love, and care, including the Christ child living within us. If He only resides on a shelf in the storage closet, He has no opportunity to grow in our lives. If He only appears on Sunday morning, we miss the daily joy of His presence. Caring for our Christ child involves dedicated effort, but the results are worth the time and energy. 

Jesus has promised us peace, abundant life, and spiritual riches beyond measure. If we desire these gifts, we must unroll the bubble wrap and place Christ in a prominent place in our hearts all twelve months of the year.

Father, thank you for the gift of the Christ child. May we keep Him close in our hearts all year.

Is There Room at the Inn?

For several weeks now I’ve been busily preparing for the holidays. The house is decked out in its Christmas finery: the tree is lit, garlands cover the stairway and windows, and angels and nativities adorn the tabletops.  Holiday meals are cooked, ready to be eaten, and the pantry is stocked. Lots of high calorie treats wait for children and grandchildren to indulge. Gifts, wrapped in red, blue, and green, sit under the tree, waiting to be opened and enjoyed. After all the hard work and preparations, I’m finally ready for Christmas! Now all I have to do is wait for loved ones to arrive and the celebrating will begin!

While I’ve worked, preparing for the holidays, my mind has wondered about the preparations Mary must have made. Like all pregnant women, she must have made special plans to prepare for the birth of the wee one in her womb. Since Joseph was a skilled carpenter, Mary surely asked him to make a lovely cradle for her soon-to-be-born infant. She must have arranged for her mother and at least one other woman to assist with the birth.

I wonder how the trip to Bethlehem impacted her plans. Did it make her fret and worry? Did she cry, thinking she might have her child while on the trip? Or did she calmly prepare, trusting in God to provide? Did she pack some food for the trip? Perhaps she prepared some bread, dried fish, and some dates and figs for their journey. Surely she carried some swaddling clothes, anticipating the birth of her child.

In spite of her preparations, Mary surely wasn’t prepared when she went into labor in a town so far from home. Did she cry for her mother? Was she frightened when they could not find a room at an inn? In spite of her plans and preparations, this baby was coming! In a quiet corner of a little village, in the company of stable animals, Mary gave birth. Surely this birth didn’t happen the way she had planned. But the birth of the Son of the living God as a tiny, helpless infant happened precisely the way God planned.

 

In spite of any of Mary’s preparations, because there was no room at the inn, Mary’s baby was born in a humble stable. I suppose the real question isn’t how Mary planned and prepared for the birth of her son.  Here is the question: as I make my human preparations to celebrate the Savior’s birth, have I left room for Him in my inn?  

Ephesians 3:16, 17a "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strenghthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."