My sister came over to pick up gingerbread houses. As we discussed if we had enough candy for the kids to decorate and why we didn’t buy the preassembled village, I watched my ten-year-old niece’s fingers glide over the figures in the manger scene piece by piece. As I watched, I longed to give gentle consideration, just like that.
The gentleness of her touch made me think, “That is how I want to approach Jesus’s birth this year.” I want to feel it, I want to savor it, I want to take it all in. My niece was captivated by the manger scene like I long to be captivated by my God.
As we approach all things Christmas over the next week, let’s be noticing and asking Him to show us what He wants us to know. “God, help me to fix my eyes on You.” “What are You saying in this?” “God, what do You want me to know?”
In the bustle of a party over the weekend, I stood for a moment at a manger scene. This particular scene had so much going on that I could barely find Mary and Joseph. When I did, I noticed rays of light coming from behind Baby Jesus’s head. While the other characters were going about their normal everyday, Hope was delivered into their dark world. Peace and hope for all humanity. God made man. Angels burst through the darkness, showing themselves in celebration that Hope had finally come, and this Hope has been coming after each of us every day since. Let us ask our God to open our eyes to see Him coming after each of us, with His offer of peace and hope that we are offered forever.
Mankind had been waiting centuries for what my heart at times is too distracted to celebrate. Welcome my Savior, my Hope, my God. Over the next few days, let us steady our hearts to slow and savor Jesus, our King.
HLLF,
