We’re rounding the corner to the final month of the year, and it’s fair to say so many of us are welcoming the Christmas season with arms wide open.
(My goodness, just writing that “with arms wide open” I had a mental throwback all the way back to 1999 listening to the Creed song… Please tell you know what I’m talking about! 🫠)
ANYWAY!
There’s a good chance you’ve already tinseled your Christmas Tree and hung your stockings with care.
Now we wait…
For what?
Well, for you and I – we watch all the Christmas movies and eat all the goodies we wait all year to eat, and we wait for the anticipation of December 25th…
Aside from all the hype about the jolly old man squeezing his way down the chimney to leave presents for all the good boys and girls, for those of us in Christ, we know the real hype is in the HOPE we have because of the One we celebrate on December 25th: Jesus.
In the United States, this is such unique timing in that we enter into Christmas season immediately following our celebration of Thanksgiving.
[Sidenote: Did you know that less than seven percent of the world’s nations celebrate some equivalent of “thanksgiving”? – >SEVEN!!]
What’s so special to me about the timing of these things for us Americans is that we have the opportunity each year to prepare our hearts for celebrating the birth of our Savior by intentionally posturing ourselves with the call to gratitude.
Now listen, I wish we would all hold this attitude of gratitude every single day – I pray that we get increasingly better at this as we grow – but the fact that the system feels “set up” this way… hmmm?
Was it intentional?
I have no idea, but I like the thought that maybe that’s possible. ;)
When we talk about the birth of Jesus, we can’t help but be reminded that this God-with-us child is such a gift.
An undeserved gift.
And that, my friend, is the definition of “grace.”
We have been bestowed this unmerited favor – this undeserved gift – by God, to us, through Christ and Christ alone.
Heaven meets earth in the most humble of ways, beckoning us to follow the way of love and hope and goodness and righteousness.
For what?
Because He loves us.
And if ever there was a collision moment where our hearts should be fully-aware and alive in the *true* gift on offer to us, it should be now: here, in this intersection of our chance at Grace and the overwhelming Gratitude we can (and should) hold well beyond any season…
Hold these moments, friend.
Celebrate, rejoice, give thanks… and embrace this priceless gift that’s on offer.
His Name is Jesus… 💫
