During the end of our month in Zambia, thoughts filled my head with what I would be missing this Christmas season while I was in Malawi. I was sad thinking about missing out on baking with my mom, watching Christmas movies on comfortable couches curled up in blankets, drinking coffee, and most of all being with all of my family and friends during the holiday season. God has taken away all of those things I used to view as “Christmas things” from my life this year as we are living out of our backpacks and travelling from village to village to share the love of Christ.
To be honest, I’ve struggled a little bit with the thoughts that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do all of the traditional American Christmas things and be with the people that I love in the States. However, then I realized that is not the meaning of Christmas. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our beautiful Savior. I am celebrating that He came to this Earth in the form of a servant so that we could live for eternity in heaven. God loved us so much that even though we mess up and deserve hell, he sent His son to Earth so that we can go to heaven if we simply believe in Him and live for the One who has saved us. This Christmas, I am so excited for as He has given us so many amazing opportunities to share about Himself.
My view of Christmas in the past has been very far off from the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is not about wrapping presents, watching Christmas movies, kissing someone under the mistletoe, drinking hot chocolate, watching someone unwrap a present you bought them, baking cookies, or even being with the people you love. All of these are wonderful things that I love doing. However, I do not want to associate Christmas with these things. I want to associate Christmas with celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.
An angel tells Mary, the mother of Jesus, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:31-33.
What does Christmas truly mean to you? What would it mean to you if all of the things you associate with Christmas besides Jesus Christ himself were taken away? Would you be as excited for this season?
I pray you all have a very blessed Christmas and remember the reason for celebrating the season. Thank you so much to all of my supporters as I could not be here without you. Thank you for enabling me to go on this journey and for partnering with me to proclaim the gospel to people in remote villages who have never heard of Christ before. Thank you for allowing me to love so many people and to go on a journey that I will never forget. I love you all and am so thankful and honored that you have chosen to support me on this journey.
