Half Way There

Yesterday, my husband and my oldest child (now a young man) climbed into the small attic space above the garage and brought down all our Christmas decor. We unpacked the paper mache Nativity that we have had for over 25 years, some wonderful hand me down decorations from my Mom-in-law’s amazing Christmas stash along with 3 fake trees in boxes ready to be put together, fluffed and ornamented. About an hour in, I was overwhelmed. Boxes everywhere. Random bits of Christmas fodder here and there with wisps of the tissue paper floating around.

I took a break.

I looked around and thought about what could go where and what could stay packed.

Just a few more weeks and Christmas Day will be upon us.

It is so easy it is to get overwhelmed with all the things to do and prepare for.

But before I finish decorating the house, I’m going to take a minute to prepare my heart.

To remind my overwhelmed self why Christmas is and what Christmas is.

Christmas Day a day to celebrate love and relationship.

Jesus is God’s gift of love for the sake of relationship with you and me.

To restore it.

To reconcile it.

To renew it.

Jesus was born for this.

He who was from the beginning became flesh so we would know God.

Christmas is a reminder and a celebration of this truth. 

As I sit in the middle of the mess and ponder the power of God’s love for me, I am encouraged.

I sit in gratitude.

I whisper, “thank you” for the gift of Jesus.

My house is only half way there but my heart is all filled up with the Christ who came to love me today.

“But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves.” John 1:12 MSG

Where ever you are in your preparations for Christmas, my prayer is that your heart would be filled with the wonder of living loved as a child of God through the gift of Jesus.