Thursday, Dec 23, 2021

“This is OUR Christmas!”

Boy, Howdy! The Christmas countdown has blown by us. Where did all the time go? How do I not have everything finished? I’ve accomplished lots of things, but I still don’t feel like I’m ready!

If you’re a parent like me, you know what it’s like to feel unprepared and unqualified. I’m referring to the birth of your first child. We had read the books, listened to lots of advice, and when the time finally arrived, we never felt more helpless. There’s no real way to explain it, is there? It’s just one of those things that you have to experience yourself to understand.

Mary and Joseph must have had a very interesting 9 ½ months. “Interesting” is probably not the right word. Is it possible to imagine the overwhelming feelings when one is pregnant with God? Or, for us dads, is it possible for us to imagine being the stepfather to Christ? Holy smokes! That kind of pressure doesn’t seem fair. And yet, it is these two, poor and unqualified people that God chooses to enter our world.

Lots of times in life, I have felt unprepared, unqualified, and unworthy. I’ve studied… a lot! I’ve experienced highs that I didn’t know existed and lows that I wish didn’t exist. I’ve received help and advice from the world’s best and I’ve learned to have the patience of the prophet Job. Yet still, when the most important things surface, I still feel like I’m not ready.

Here comes Christmas. Santa Claus, gingerbread houses, and candy canes are just part of it… just like the lines, gift lists, and unexpected surprises. I’ve worked diligently to be ready and accomplished plenty, yet I still feel unprepared.

What I often forget is that the LORD created Christmas so that I don’t have to be worried about being unqualified, unprepared, and unworthy. Yes, I am all of those things. However, God knows it and God was already on top of the problem by the time I figured it out. This is my Christmas. This is OUR Christmas. It is OURS, not because of what we deserved or what we’ve accomplished, but because of who God is: God is love. That’s enough for all of us.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:2, 6, NRSV).