A Christmas Family Affair
Every Christmas season I hear people say the holiday is all about family. We want to be with our families, make memories with them, buy them gifts, and express our love to them. It made me wonder why we put so much emphasis on families at Christmas. When did that emphasis begin?
I believe there is a strong pull toward families because the first Christmas all those years ago began with a family. Mary and Joseph were a young couple who were expecting their first child. They wanted everything to be perfect for Him, just as most parents do when they’re awaiting the birth of a child.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus. He was born into a family just as all babies are. The holy family found out the night their sweet baby was born that things need not be perfect for God’s will to be done. Though Jesus had to be born in a stable because there was no room at the inn, there was enough love in that lowly place to make extraordinary beauty. Enough to last through the ages!
So even if your Christmas–or family–isn’t perfect, keep loving and continue to lean on God and his perfect love for you and your family. That’s part of the beauty and significance of Christmas. A family, a holy God, and a bright hope.
What a lovely post, Linda. It’s a great reminder about not trying to seek perfection, that all happens in God’s time and in God’s way.
Thanks, Cheryl. Merry Christmas to you and your family!