Reason #315
Once Thanksgiving arrives, I'm ready for Christmas. Really, I've been ready for Christmas since November started. Truthfully, I kind of feel sorry for Thanksgiving as we seem to skip over it. Of course Thanksgiving is nice and enjoyable and the food is good, but there's just something about Christmas. The anticipation, the decorations, the music, the food, a lot of joy packed into the season.
I love Christmas, but I think that's a pretty common thing. Who doesn't love Christmas? I have been listening to Christmas music for the past 2 days. I can (and probably will) listen to Christmas music for the rest of this year and won't get the least bit tired of it. I also love Christmas decorations. I love seeing the stores decorated, getting Christmas magazines, seeing Christmas commercials and watching Christmas movies. Basically, put the word 'Christmas' in there and I automatically love it.
So what is it about Christmas really? What is it that makes the season so appealing? I was listening to my favorite Christmas album as I got ready for bed tonight and the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" played. I definitely agreed with that statment. I do think this is the most wonderful time of the year. Because during Christmas people are generous. There's lots of cheer going around. It's a happy time. A time of giving. A time when we are on our best behavior because, well, it's Christmas. Don't you agree?
But I see Christmas a little differently this year than ever before. Christmas is more than songs and gifts, bows and wrapping paper and nativity scenes. Christmas is more than jolly fat men and cookies and ornaments dangling from pine trees. Christmas is the beginning of a second chance. A new start. Christmas is what we so desperately needed. Because we messed up. We mess up. We are imperfect people wrapped in flesh and we stumble over and over again.
But Christmas didn't happen by accident. Christmas didn't come about by chance. It was planned long in advance because He knew this about us. He knew we would chase the ways of the world and fall flat on our face. He knew that we would feast on deceit and starve ourselves of truth. He knew this and because He loved us that much, Christmas happened. Because He cared so deeply for us, He gave us this second chance. He wrapped it in flesh so that we could see it and understand it. And that second chance laid in a manger. Tiny little hands that would one day be pierced with nails for you and for me. He sent us this gift of redemption. A people who messed up big time, but God's love was so great that He went out of His way and do something big to rescue them. A people who were quick to forget, to forsake and yet He forgave them. He had a plan all along because He wanted them to be free. He wanted us to be free. Free from bondage, free from darkness, free so we could experience true abundance and joy. And so He gave to us something really, really precious. A gift that could never be matched. Jesus Christ, the second chance, redemption for mankind.
And so I praise God for the Christmas season. For second chances. For always having a plan and doing what's best for His children. For going to great lengths to save them, to resuce them and free them. For being generous with each and every gift. For withholding nothing and giving freely. And I'm most grateful for gifts wrapped in flesh as those are precious. Those gifts are truly from above, gifts that only He can give. Gifts that are sent for us because of His great, redeeming love.
#315 - For gifts wrapped in flesh.
"Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!" - 2 Corinthians 9:15
I love Christmas, but I think that's a pretty common thing. Who doesn't love Christmas? I have been listening to Christmas music for the past 2 days. I can (and probably will) listen to Christmas music for the rest of this year and won't get the least bit tired of it. I also love Christmas decorations. I love seeing the stores decorated, getting Christmas magazines, seeing Christmas commercials and watching Christmas movies. Basically, put the word 'Christmas' in there and I automatically love it.
So what is it about Christmas really? What is it that makes the season so appealing? I was listening to my favorite Christmas album as I got ready for bed tonight and the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" played. I definitely agreed with that statment. I do think this is the most wonderful time of the year. Because during Christmas people are generous. There's lots of cheer going around. It's a happy time. A time of giving. A time when we are on our best behavior because, well, it's Christmas. Don't you agree?
But I see Christmas a little differently this year than ever before. Christmas is more than songs and gifts, bows and wrapping paper and nativity scenes. Christmas is more than jolly fat men and cookies and ornaments dangling from pine trees. Christmas is the beginning of a second chance. A new start. Christmas is what we so desperately needed. Because we messed up. We mess up. We are imperfect people wrapped in flesh and we stumble over and over again.
But Christmas didn't happen by accident. Christmas didn't come about by chance. It was planned long in advance because He knew this about us. He knew we would chase the ways of the world and fall flat on our face. He knew that we would feast on deceit and starve ourselves of truth. He knew this and because He loved us that much, Christmas happened. Because He cared so deeply for us, He gave us this second chance. He wrapped it in flesh so that we could see it and understand it. And that second chance laid in a manger. Tiny little hands that would one day be pierced with nails for you and for me. He sent us this gift of redemption. A people who messed up big time, but God's love was so great that He went out of His way and do something big to rescue them. A people who were quick to forget, to forsake and yet He forgave them. He had a plan all along because He wanted them to be free. He wanted us to be free. Free from bondage, free from darkness, free so we could experience true abundance and joy. And so He gave to us something really, really precious. A gift that could never be matched. Jesus Christ, the second chance, redemption for mankind.
And so I praise God for the Christmas season. For second chances. For always having a plan and doing what's best for His children. For going to great lengths to save them, to resuce them and free them. For being generous with each and every gift. For withholding nothing and giving freely. And I'm most grateful for gifts wrapped in flesh as those are precious. Those gifts are truly from above, gifts that only He can give. Gifts that are sent for us because of His great, redeeming love.
#315 - For gifts wrapped in flesh.
"Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!" - 2 Corinthians 9:15
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