Hours To Go Before We Sleep

Everyone will be home by now.  I’m thinking of all of you tonight. It’s Monday. It’s also Christmas Eve’s Eve. For some, that means just eight or so hours until all the stores will be closed and Christmas Eve will be with us and prayerfully, ‘all is calm, all is bright’. Many will be sitting in the glow of the Christmas tree watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” and wondering if our lives make a difference. Others may be watching, “White Christmas” or “Holiday Inn” and looking at the grass growing on the other side of the glass.

It’s been an unusual December. We had our white Christmas early on and maybe now think of this as the fall we missed. Doesn’t matter. We are home with the tree in the corner and a few more gifts to wrap. There is something special about the last few days of getting ready. To me, it’s a number of intangible things, like, memories of the past, of people who are no longer with us and times when we use to dream about what would be under the tree this year.

A long time ago I decided I would never be disappointed on Christmas morning. It was not my dream to have a perfect present. I had simple wishes. They included simple things like a tool I needed or a new shirt for church and some chocolate. At first I didn’t tell anyone about how I have every year since, bought something for myself to make sure I received at least one thing I really wanted. (When you see me in a couple of days, ask me what I bought for myself.

A good number of years ago, on Christmas, I received a most precious gift. My daughter showed up that Christmas day with her gifts to everyone. We were sitting around the room, and one by one, we opened them as if of them were the most precious. As time went by we continued to go around and around the room. It came around to me and I decided to open the gift from her. It didn’t look like much because it was haphazardly wrapped. It turned out to be a lawn ornament you hammered into the ground. At the top was an angel, with the caption, “Angel’s Gather Here”. That night I left the room and went outside and cried with the angels surrounding me.

In those very special moments I felt like those shepherds must have felt. They were just lying there watching their flocks by night and heard;  “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Maybe Angels are saying to us there is still one more thing to do this Christmas and that is ‘go and see this thing which has come to past’. Let’s go see the Baby.

Something to think about.

Merry Christmas

Rob