'Tis the season. You've all heard it. Sure, the weather isn't showing much holiday spirit, but the proof is everywhere. It is evident in the commercials, in every Target, and on basically every third house around each neighborhood.
It IS the season, and everyone is aware.
The peculiar thing about the holiday season, and Christmas in particular, is that until around Christmas Eve or so, life goes on completely normally. In fact, life moves at an incredibly rushed and frantic pace. There are gifts to buy, recipes to make, finals to ace, and last minute work assignments to finish up. We run and run, looking ceaselessly at the ground ahead of us, hoping that we won't trip and fall and ruin the holidays. Such is the way for practically the entire month of December.
Christmas Eve is an abrupt wakeup call, a sign to slow down, return home and understand the spirit of this beautiful holiday.
Now, say what you will, but the greatest Gift we will ever receive deserves more attention than that.
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:8-14
My goodness, we better slow down and try to comprehend that. Our month of December should be spent waiting, hoping and preparing for this perfect Gift. It was told to us in 1 Peter 1:8, that through the birth of our Savior, we would have unspeakable joy. "Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."
Unspeakable.
I can describe pretty well how it feels to jump in a swimming pool on the first hot day of April. I can easily write about my first kiss, I can list what makes the smell of pancakes and bacon in the morning so special. But I cannot speak of the joy brought to this world via our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is a joy so overwhelming, so great, so bright that words simply melt away. It is a joy that caused Linus to drop his security blanket proclaiming the story to Charlie Brown. It is a joy that grew the Grinch's heart three sizes.
It is a joy seemingly fit for the movies, yet it lives right here. Right now.
A call to action is needed. The bustle of the holidays makes this time special, but the King of Kings deserves more than that. Find that unspeakable joy all month long. Heck, let it dictate your entire season. Your entire year. This is a joy unlike any level of happiness or delight. Once we grasp that, the tinsel and cookies seem like a drop in the bucket. Let us prepare a way for Him. Let us open our hearts and lives, so that when He arrives, that unspeakable joy will be felt loud and clear.
Merry Christmas, y'all.
