Then my husband came home after working late, and everyone treated him like a waiter at dinner and I heard him mumble, "Oh I hate children."
We don't usually say this kind of thing. God has blessed us with a large and ever-growing family, and we love our kids, love sharing our lives with them, and we love Christmas- the lights, the music, the cozy times reading, the Christmas baking and visiting.
But this year I keep hearing a whisper in my ear; "This is empty. This is worthless. This has no meaning."
Only in the last few days have I realized how often I have listened to that whisper, and how I had begun to believe it.
Advent is a waiting time, a waiting for the light to burst into flames in the darkness. But the advent of Christ, his lowly birth in a stable also heralded weeping and grief as the mothers of babies had their children torn from their arms, as Herod sought for that tiny, lovely king-baby gifted to a Jewish virgin. Satan has always hated children, and stops at nothing to snuff out their life, their breath, their very souls.
The celebrations God ordained for his chosen people always centered on remembering Him; remembering what He had done for them, what miracles he had performed, what feats of daring and mystery they had witnessed, what laws should be upheld and obeyed. And always the proclamation, "And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
As a Christian, celebrating light in seasons of darkness ought to be
second nature. Giving gifts thoughtfully chosen in memory of our true Gift should be a joy and not a drudgery. But I kept hearing this low, mocking voice as I pick up my Bible to read from Proverbs or the Christmas Story out loud to my kids.
"This is empty and meaningless and worthless. It is all worthless."
second nature. Giving gifts thoughtfully chosen in memory of our true Gift should be a joy and not a drudgery. But I kept hearing this low, mocking voice as I pick up my Bible to read from Proverbs or the Christmas Story out loud to my kids.
"This is empty and meaningless and worthless. It is all worthless."
It is not worthless! God came down and clothed himself in our flesh and bone- he nursed, he slept, he grew and cried and laughed. He was full human. He was full God.
Our earth was hallowed by his first footsteps to his mother, and his last footsteps towards the cross. Our earth can have joy and sorrow side by side, as we live in the light of his life.
The things we do have meaning, they have purpose, and one day we will see all the threads connected, glorious, spread out like golden stars across a dark blue sky.
Merry Christmas, and this joyful, sorrowful, holy Season's Greetings.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
James 1.17
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9.6
