I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (KJV)
Christmas Day came and went. The guests have gone home. The HUGE meal was eaten, and we are working our way through the leftovers. The china and silverware are washed and put away. The last small group of packages were distributed. Our post office box is back to holding only bills, and some of those will be whoppers as we have annual payments on insurance due in January. Soon, I will be pulling the boxes down out of the attic and packing them with decorations. The day after Christmas I paced around the house until I gave in and went to three Hallmark stores to buy ornaments half price. Did I need more? No. But, as I have for over thirty years, I went anyway. I didn’t know what else to do with myself because the day after Christmas is so unsettling. The holiday is over, but it is not really over until the last box is back in the attic. Yet, it seemed too early to start putting stuff away. I felt so blah and lifeless. There was no shopping to do, no gifts to wrap, no food to cook (all those leftovers, you know), and no guests to prepare for. The house is even realitively clean. So, what to do with the day after Christmas? After coming home from my brief shopping excursion, I took a moment to just sit. I can’t remember how long it has been since I did so. Then, I pulled out some glass and starting working on an art piece I have wanted to make for a while, but I set aside in order to make Christmas gifts and decorations. Life goes on. As though December never even happened. But, I would be remise if I did not allow the true message of Christmas to impact my life. You see, that baby born in a manger, that all the hoopla is about, did not stay a baby. Just like our own children grow to adulthood in the blink of an eye, Jesus became a man and in the three years of His life recorded in the Bible, He showed us how He wanted us to live. He took risks, walking on water, feeding 5,000 people with a few loaves and fishes, confronting the hypocrites and pompous. He hung out with the people who needed Him most, the sick, the lonely, the outcast. He did not expect to be treated like the King He was, but served everyone who came across His path. And He was always on the lookout for an opportunity to tell people about His Father and God’s love for each human being. He knew when to rest, when to work, when to get angry, when to be compassionate. He never failed to love. He did not waste one moment of His life. Christmas Day may be over, but the message of Christmas cannot be confined to one single day. Christ came so that we might have life, life more abundantly.
Hello, I’ve enjoyed reading through some of your posts and some of your thoughts of Christmas and the days surrounding it. It is so true we make much of that one day with great expectations but the entire reason we celebrate is to be lived out every single day.
Sounds like you are in a time of transition with your boys leaving the nest. All of our children are grown and I remember those days well. I kept very busy so the time seemed quick and before you know they are marrying and adding to the family and then having children and there you are again… back to wrapping, cooking, putting toys together, keeping their children overnight so they can go out of town… this empty nest time is the bridge that takes you to the most wonderful time of life.
Blessings for a very happy New Year!
Meems