Christmas

It's Christmas day. Everyone has stopped their usual activities, families have gathered, for a moment the hustle and bustle of everday has paused. We are celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. Some would say there is magic in the air. Some would say there is the feeling that things which are not possible the whole year through are somehow possible on Christmas day. No doubt there was the presence of the supernatural on that first Christmas night, so long ago, when God came to earth in the form of man and started the process that would bring our desperate race redemption. We were so in need and He was and is so willing to meet our need. Yet, many will brush over the day and never see how a birth in a stable more than 2000 years ago affects them today. To them it's a nice story that touches your heart in some strange way but does little more. How sad, that they will miss the one thing that separates Jesus from all other gods - He came to man so that man could come to Him. Because He layed aside His glory and took the form of a lowly man we can have a personal relationship with Almighty God, the Creator of the universe. It is a thought that still, even 2000 plus years later, inspires awe in the hearts and minds of those who have experienced His salvation. This poem was written nine years ago, yet it is more real today than it was then.

"Where Christ Was Born"

Dark.

Dirty.

Smelly.

Lowly.

Crowded.

Shameful.

Despairing.

Sadly Lacking.

Uncomfortable.

Unfit for a King.

In need of repairs.

Into this was Christ born.

Not a stable, but my heart.

Thoughts

I'm at home sick tonight, trying to recover from a horrible cold so I can perform Christmas night in a big Messiah production. Nothing is worse than being home sick. You can't do much and you don't really feel like doing much. Well, this is what too much stress gets you. One would think I had learned my lesson by now, but nooooo, not me. I'm just too stubborn for that. I always have to push the limits and see what else I can do. Oh well. I will recover and I'm sure I'll feel much better tomorrow. I have a long weekend in front of me with so many things to do, but most of all I get to celebrate Christmas. I haven't been happier to celebrate this season in my whole life. I don't know why I didn't see it before, but the whole hustle and bustle of the season is so much more enjoyable when the focus is on Jesus and being so grateful for what He did during this time of year. I always wondered how the wise men could rejoice with exceeding great joy when they saw the star that would lead them to Bethlehem, knowing that they had a two year journey ahead of them that was not going to be easy. Now I know it was the realization that God had come down to earth to bridge the gap between Himself and mankind and a feeling of awe that One so great would make such a sacrifice to save us from all of our sins and the many messes that we make in our lives and the lives of those around us. Surely, if they could be excited about following a star to worship Jesus I can be excited about decorating and spreading cheer to others to show my worship and love for Jesus.