Being away from family and friends during the holiday’s is hard. I caught myself multiple times thinking and saying, “it doesn’t seem like Christmas at all.” After awhile of feeling sorry for myself, I felt God asking me what Christmas is really about.
I’ve always known that Christmas is about our perfect savior coming to the lowest of the low, to love us and to save us by giving His life for us. I’ve known it in my head, but unfortunately I haven’t done a good job of living it out.
Christmas time has always been a time for parties with friends, driving around town to look at all the lights, decorations, family traditions and time with the ones I love most. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, unless it becomes all Christmas is about for you. Not having all of the business made it hard to be in Ecuador this Christmas. Because Christmas is about Christ and not me, it shouldn’t matter where I am or who I’m with. Celebrating the birth of my Savior doesn’t require a lighted Christmas tree, a day with family and friends or an ugly Christmas sweater; it requires a reverent, thankful heart. Real Christmas isn’t a season or a day, it’s a lifestyle of gratitude for the One that gave it all.
Who knows where I’ll be next year around the holidays. I could be with family, but I could be somewhere else. Regardless of where I am, my prayer is that I will be able to continue to dive even more into and not take for granted the love of my God who sent His only Son so that I can live abundantly. I pray that I will be able to rest in the fact that that is more than enough and that I’ll be able to share that with others.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. – Luke 2:1-20
