Christmas Eve is one of my favorite nights of the year. I love candlelight services, Christmas hymns soothe my soul . . . it is a sweet and PEACEFUL moment of reflection on the blessings (and trials) of the previous year, the challenges of the next one . . . all viewed through the framework of the perfect gift of Jesus, God’s son in human form.
This year . . . not so peaceful. This is the first Christmas Eve spent with a (VERY) active and inquisitive three year old. Peace and quiet DO NOT exist in this equation no matter how many threats and/or bribes are forthcoming. Combine that with a max attention span of about ten minutes and it makes for a very different candlelight service. But while peaceful was not the watchword, JOY was. As I was watching J.’s face by candlelight (and simultaneously juggling both my candle and hers in a losing attempt to prevent wax going EVERYWHERE), it occurred to me that while Christmas would look very different from now on, it will continue to be manna for my soul.
It is such a joy to read Luke 2 and see it through her eyes . . . to realize anew how the gospel permeates every aspect of the Christmas story (and to have the privilege of sharing that truth with her) . . . and to teach her the joy of giving to others less fortunate. It makes even that one hour of fidgeting an absolute pleasure. (As well as entertainment for those seated to our immediate front).
So bring on Christmas with chaos. I can’t wait for next year.
~M.
P.S. As soon as I figure out the format, I have video of her first church performance. Awesomely hilarious.