12.23.2016

The Gift of Christmas

Every year, it's kind of the same, isn't it? Christmastime comes around. We see the same sights, watch the same movies, hear the same songs, and listen to the same story. It's all so familiar. 


  the jingle bells

         the red and green lights

                   the piles of presents 

                               the waiting 

                                         and the little baby in the manger 


{via}

Honestly, I don't really think that's the way it's supposed to be. Christmas is the time of year that we've set aside to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus! It's supposed to be a time of joy and hope and peace- not of stress and chaos and trouble. It's rather ironic, isn't it? With all the crazy rushing around that this time of the year tends to bring, I forget, too. I get worried and stressed about the presents to buy and wrap and the packages to mail and the parties to go to and the cookies to make...

All of those things are great and wonderful in their place! I love buying and giving gifts, and going to parties, and making cookies, and decorating. But that's not the point of the Christmas season. The point of the Christmas season is that God cared about us so much that He sent His perfect Son to be born as a baby and take on human form and live on earth as a man- all so He could grow up and be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. When I think about it that way, I'm suddenly not as concerned about that gift I  haven't bought yet and that party that I missed.


{via}

The first Christmas was nothing like what we usually imagine it as. It wasn't a perfect little scene in a clean stable with a few sheep standing around while Mary gazes at a baby with a halo around his head. In reality, it was a time of wondering and waiting and unfamiliarity. 


  the dusty and crowded roads

           the noise and chaos 

                     the unfamiliarity of it all 

                                the waiting 

                                          and the little baby in the manger 


Remember, this was Mary's first child, and she was most likely quite young- a teenager- when she was chosen to bear God's Son. I honestly can't imagine what she felt like during that time! But she did know that God had chosen her, and that His plans were infinitely the best.

{my pic}


With these thoughts in mind, I was thinking them over and feeling a bit ashamed of how many times I have heard or read the Christmas story this season, and how I've gotten so familiar with it that it didn't really effect me in the way that it should. I think all of us that have grown up hearing it every year can get like that sometimes. So I was trying to get back on track with remembering the real reason for this season and how unfamiliar and exciting and awe-striking it should be- and feeling rather guilty and un-joyful because of my previous mindset.

Then another thought came to mind. God sent the angels to tell the shepherds the good news, and they rejoiced! It was most certainly a time of rejoicing and celebration for those who knew and believed what had happened! It should be like that for Christians, too. With that in mind, it was much easier to get in the spirit of the holiday and be joyful again.

 So it's perfectly okay- and a blessing- to celebrate the season in the many different ways that we do. And I really think that when we do it with the right heart behind it, it truly honors Him. He gave the best gift of all to us, so we should be sharing that gift with others, especially this time of the year!
Even with only two days left until Christmas, it's not too late. We can still spread the love and joy and hope of this special season with others, and do it for the right reason. After all, the angels did say: "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."



Merry Christmas!


//Emily 

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10 comments:

  1. This was so beautiful, Emily!! Your writing style is so amazing. <333 I totally agree. Christmas has become way to familiar. We can read the story and feel no joy and wonder at how amazing it really was. I think, like you said, we also imagine it to have been such a pleasant atmosphere. Cozy, warm, and fresh smelling in the hay. But I mean if you've ever been in a stable it stinks...;D It probably would have been smelly, loud, and uncomfortable. Jesus was probably in a stone trough and they were probably in a cave and not a bright stable. It's just so different than we would imagine! But we still should feel joy and celebrate!!

    Merry Christmas to you too! ♥♥♥

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    1. You are the sweetest, Hannah! <333 Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts- I totally agree. :)
      Thanks so much for all your encouraging comments! ♥

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  2. Keep up the great blog posts Emily!

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    1. Thank you, Grace! Hope you had a great Christmas and wishing you a happy New Year. :)

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  4. Can I just agree with Hannah? Your writing style is amazing! Praise God who not only gifted you with it, but also sustains that gift in you every time you write a new blog post.

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    1. You are so sweet, Jordy. <3 I am extremely grateful to be able to share some of my writing with you all, and may all the glory go to Him each and every time!

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  5. Thank you for the lovely reminder. And I completely agree! This Christmas I tried to really pay attention to the story of Jesus' birth...but I feel like I have it almost memorized. We have heard it so many times that we forget its importance. It's the same way with Jesus' death. I already know the story, so sometimes I downsize how critical it is to my life today and every single day.

    One thing I love about the shepherds is found in Luke 2:17, "Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child." They didn't only celebrate His coming; they told everyone they met about Him!! This should be our mindset. We shouldn't celebrate with our families alone...we should be spreading the Good News!

    I enjoyed this post, Emily. =) Thank you for always pointing us to Jesus. ♥

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    1. Thank YOU, Hosanna! I totally understand the feeling... it comes to all of us at some point or another, I think.

      Yes, I love that verse! I was going to include it, but it got away from me somehow- thank you for sharing it.

      Thank you, Hosanna, for your comment! ♥

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