For me, December has been a season of wonder. I wonder whether I will get the decorating done. I wonder if I will miss someone on the Christmas Card list. I wonder if I will have time to bake cookies. I wonder if I will find the perfect gifts. I wonder, I wonder … And finally, I wonder why I didn’t enjoy it more. I wonder what is wrong with me.
Years ago, a winter storm left every surface, tree, branch and twig, coated with ice. The morning sun turned everything to diamonds and crystal. Breathtaking! As I looked out my window, I noticed a neighbor, head down and focused, going to retrieve his newspaper. Maybe he was being careful because of the ice. Then, halfway back to his house, he paused and looked up. And slowly turned around.
So, maybe I’ve been approaching Christmas, head down and focused on what I tell myself I have to do, when what I really need to do is pause long enough to look up and look around. To pause long enough to really see Christmas. And to let real Christmas in.
Jesus told Martha,
“… you are so anxious and concerned about a million details,
but really, only one thing matters.
Luke 10:41-42a The Voice
He may as well have said “Pam.”
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And now, the time has come!
That grace was revealed when our Savior, Jesus the Anointed, appeared;
and through His resurrection He has wiped out death
and brought to light life and immortality by way of this good news.
2 Timothy 1:10 The Voice
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“God is here.
This truth should fill our lives, and every Christmas should be,
for us, a new and special meeting with God
when we allow His light and grace to enter deep into our soul.”
Saint Josemaría Escrivá