Reflection

You know how everyone laments the lack of time around Christmas? I know I have every year. Every December the most common phrases are, "I don't have time to enjoy the season," "I am too busy to stop and breathe," "Is it December 23rd already? It was just Thanksgiving."

I think I have felt that way as long as I can remember, but thankfully this year has been different. This was the first year in over a decade that I was not involved in a Christmas production at church. I intentionally didn't sign up for it this year. I didn't want to practice every night for the first 2 weeks in December. I wanted to be at home with my babies. I didn't have 10 parties at attend. I didn't have to run tech for a FCA breakfast, a men's pancake breakfast, the youth program, the children's program, the women's holiday brunch, the adult cantata, the dinner theatre..... I remember 2 years ago realizing that Rob and I were only home for 3 days together the whole month of December.

So this year we scaled back. Partly out of choice and partly because we don't know as many people in Kansas and aren't nearly as involved. And can I say that it has been wonderful? I have loved Christmas this year. I have spent many nights holding my kids, singing Christmas songs on the piano, making cookies, reading my Bible and reflecting on the enormity of what it means, and just being with Rob. We have had so many cups of hot chocolate, driven around and looked at so many lights, hung out with a handful of friends that we dearly love, and I have curled up at night and just stared at my tree. I don't think I have ever done that. And I loved it.

It also gave me time to listen to my favorite Christmas song which is, "Welcome to our World," by Chris Rice. It is so easy to just hum along to that song and not really listen to the lyrics, but when you really ponder them, they can be overwhelming. My favorite lines are-

Bring your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around you
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God

I don't know if it means more now that I have a baby boy. Maybe not. But I have spent a lot of time staring at Will in the light of the Christmas tree and just praying. When I think of Jesus and that He really did in fact come in the form of an infant, I want to cry. His little and tiny baby finger was truly sent to heal us. I look at Will's little forehead and think of the infant Jesus whose tender brow was prepared for thorn and his little heart whose blood saved us all. It's amazing. It is truly amazing. His peace was brought into our world of violence and it still surrounds us today.

I still have trouble comprehending that God took on our injured flesh.I think of the Jewish people waiting for their king. Waiting for a soldier. Waiting for a warrior to take on their oppressors by firestorm or by sword. And they got a tiny infant whose perfect blood saved us all. It is mind blowing. And as I sit and reflect I can't help but crying out, "Welcome to our world." Still. Two thousand years later we need our hungry souls filled.

And I am thankful. I am hopeful. I am grateful. And I am saved.