It's that time of year again, the time when we begin asking one another, ?What do you want for Christmas?? My daughter asked her dad that question the other day and his answer was predictable. ?Well, I could use a pair of gloves, maybe some socks and a tie.?
Meagan groaned. ?I don't want to get you the same old things, Dad,? she complained. 'that's too boring.? Spence tried to come up with something a little more interesting, but so far, gloves and socks are still at the top of the list.
This is also the time when we begin hearing all the same old Christmas carols, receiving all the same old cards, seeing all the same old decorations, baking all the same old cookies and even pulling out the same old (plastic) Christmas tree. Same old, same old. It can all seem so familiar that . . .
It's that time of year again, the time when we begin asking one another, ?What do you want for Christmas?? My daughter asked her dad that question the other day and his answer was predictable. ?Well, I could use a pair of gloves, maybe some socks and a tie.?
Meagan groaned. ?I don't want to get you the same old things, Dad,? she complained. 'that's too boring.? Spence tried to come up with something a little more interesting, but so far, gloves and socks are still at the top of the list.
This is also the time when we begin hearing all the same old Christmas carols, receiving all the same old cards, seeing all the same old decorations, baking all the same old cookies and even pulling out the same old (plastic) Christmas tree. Same old, same old. It can all seem so familiar that we forget why we do it. We forget that Christmas has significance, not just because of the holidays and the presents but because of what really happened just a little over two thousand years ago.
The very first Christmas was a time of new things. A new star appeared in the sky and kings from the East recognized it as a sign of something momentous. Angels appeared to shepherds who were shaken from their same old routines and were filled with new hope. Two parents experienced the joy and pain of new life. The birth of Jesus, that event we celebrate on Christmas day, was the beginning of something new for all of us. It was the beginning of reconciliation with God, the beginning of joy and hope and the beginning of true peace.
Unfortunately, we have not yet appropriated all that Christmas means. We have surrounded it with all the trappings of tradition and commercialism but we have failed to claim its true significance. We reject the offer of reconciliation, we refuse the joy, spurn the hope and deny the peace. Then we look around at our corrupt and chaotic world, and we wonder why things are in such turmoil; why do we keep making all the same old mistakes?
Hundreds of years before the birth of the New King, a wise prophet told the people about Him. He foretold His birth, outlined His life and, in great detail, described His death. Isaiah said ? 'the people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.? We have been living in the shadow of death since the beginning of time and since that moment God planned to dispel that darkness. The light Isaiah speaks of is Jesus Christ.
Christmas doesn't have to be all about the same old stuff. It can be a time filled with joy, hope and peace. It can be a time to embrace the new life Jesus offers.
Marcia Laycock is a pastor's wife and freelance writer living in Alberta Canada. Her devotional book, The Spur of the Moment has been endorsed by Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and others. To order, and to view more of Marcia's writing, see her web site - www.vinemarc.com
Copyright Marcia Lee Laycock, 2000, 2001,2002,2003,2004