Written by Brenda Grembowski
Christmas is the rare occasion where your past, present and future collide, in the best possible way.
For my past, it means remembering my childhood when my parents struggled to make ends meet, but always found a way to put treats in our stockings and a present under the tree. It means feeling special and loved as a child.
It means reflecting on my own family’s traditions that have formed over the years. One of my favorites is when we come home from church on Christmas Eve, we put on our pjs and make hot chocolate, then pile back in the car to drive around the neighborhood to see who won all the decorating contest awards. It means feeling blessed to be together.
For my present, it means being excited to see my family and friends (even if that means by Zoom only this year). It means showing love and generosity to those I know and those in need. It means enjoying the magic and wonder of the season through my grand-nieces’ and grand-nephew’s eyes and feeling young at heart.
It means making time between shopping, decorating, gift wrapping and such to be calm and still and in awe of the reason for the season. It means celebrating the best gift our world will ever know, the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
For all of our futures, it means Happy New Year! As we celebrate Jesus’ birthday, we end the year and begin anew with the promise of God with us. It means new beginnings. It means having renewed hope, new opportunities for peace and healing, new adventures to explore, new people to meet and become friends, new ways to give, and most importantly, new ways to love. I pray that you receive all these things and more.
Christmas blessings to everyone!
If you’ve missed any of our previous daily readings, you can find them all archived here. We hope these readings are helping you encounter God this season!