We’re almost 10 days away from Christmas. Lines are long. Traffic is crazy. The weather is cold. People are…well…interesting. There’s just something around the holidays that brings out the crazy in people. We’re all busy conquering deadlines at work, home, and at school. We haven’t decided what presents to buy for family let alone what to stuff in our suitcases for flights and road trips home. But, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
And at the same time it doesn’t always feel like that.
In the midst of the holiday hustle, we easily forget what this season is all about. It’s not about gift wrap or stores or cookies or Christmas trees. It’s about a baby being born bringing hope to the world.
I tend to gravitate towards the hopeless in a time that hope was born. My mind is consumed with the details of making Christmas happen. But the last time I checked, that responsibility was never assigned to me. Jesus already made Christmas happen. My role is to celebrate what He has already done for me and invite people on the journey with me.
Today, know this:
- God is crazy in love with you. He sent His only Son to die for you and for me. He saw the hopelessness of our circumstances and gave us the gift of hope.
- Christmas is more than a day in December. My Dad has been teaching this idea at Church of Hope this month and it has resonated deeply within me. As soon as we clear the Thanksgiving table, our focus immediately shifts to preparing for a day in December. But Jesus didn’t offer us His presence for a single day. He gives us the gift of His presence every single day!
- No matter what you’re facing there is always hope. It may not feel like it today or tomorrow or on the 25th of December, but there is hope in each of our stories. Even in the midst of my hurt and pain, I’m resting in the truth that a baby was born bringing redemption, radical grace and incredible hope to the world.
How will you choose to celebrate hope this Christmas?
