What Comes in December?

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”  Luke 2:11

I had a sweet surprise this week. I was chatting with my four year old great granddaughter, Annie, and she mentioned that it was December.  Naturally, I asked her what comes in December. I was prepared to hear about Santa Claus or presents but I was thrilled when she answered “Baby Jesus”.

After my younger daughter was married and had children of her own, she was bustling around getting everything ready for Christmas one year. She looked at me and said, “I liked it better when you did all the work and I just enjoyed Christmas!” I guess she did. She is the same daughter who told me recently “making memories is a lot of work”. We love making happy memories for our grandchildren but it is a lot of work.

What does the coming of Christmas mean to you? Is it shopping and decorating and cooking and going to parties and pageants? Are you all caught up in the peripheral parts of Christmas? Overwhelmed by all that needs to be done? Or do you draw apart often during the Christmas season to meditate on what the coming of the baby Jesus means in the world and in your life?

I always loved seeing the children in our family and the wonder and excitement on their faces as Christmas approached. My husband was not what I would call a “Christmas person”.  Now that he is spending his Christmases in heaven, it has become my job to pay property taxes at the end of the year, to decide which financial decisions needs to be made before the year ends, and get ready to pay part of my income tax in January. These business responsibilities have given me insight as to why my husband wasn’t as thrilled to see Christmas and the end of the year roll around as I was.

What about you? Do you feel so overwhelmed with business and financial decisions that must be made before January 1 that you feel like Scrooge? Or do you take time out to thank and praise God for business and finances to support your family? Do you draw apart often during December to meditate on what the coming of baby Jesus means to you, your family, and the way you are living your life?

Who comes in December? Baby Jesus! Are you welcoming him anew this year?

Father, may we focus on the coming of Your Son into this world. Bless in our celebration of His birth. Amen.