Christmas

Well, Christmas Day has come and gone. It's Christmas night as I write. The presents are opened an laying around the tree and other parts of the house. The big meal was consumed with family and friends who had no family of their own in town. Our extended family has left or retired for the night and now we are left with the memories of another Christmas. The memories are always good, and the time together is always sweet. But there's something about Christmas that always leaves you wanting. Maybe it's the build up to the big day that comes and goes as fast as it came. Maybe it's the expectation of the day itself. Whatever it is, you can never hang onto it. It's so fleeting. You tire of all the Christmas shows and Christmas carols all of sudden seem old. But much of life is that way, isn't it? Everything is so temporary. Nothing lasts very long, whether it's the expectation of opening presents or the time with family or the day itself. It fades so quickly. But the greater truth and the reason I'm not sad or depressed is the fact that Christmas isn't about just one day. For us who follow Christ, we know that Christmas is forever. The real gift that God is with us every moment of every day causes us to press on! It's not about the presents or anything else for that matter. It's what Christ has done for us that changes everything. Because he is Immanuel, God with us, our expectations are always for more than this life. They are eternal. Thank you God for your Son, and thank you that Christmas is forever!