Don’t miss Christmas

I wrote this a couple of years ago, but it seems worth repeating.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:13-20

Don’t miss Christmas this year. Christmas must be the most anticipated holidays of all. Everyone prepares for Christmas. Retail stores start around Halloween. We plan time off, make travel plans, buy gifts weeks in advance, and bake cookies in preparation for the holiday. How in the world could you miss Christmas?

But this is the picture I have in mind. Many of us aim for Christmas but we actually miss it.

On that first Christmas people were amazed at the news. Mary pondered all that happened in her heart. I think we miss Christmas when we fail to be amazed by it. Anything short of amazement about the birth of Jesus misses Christmas and all that God wants for us at this time of year. Our lives are reflect the truth of the C.S. Lewis quote:

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses

Our experience of Christmas is far too like the child who opens the present to find the latest and best toy, but then ends up playing with the box.

So don’t miss Christmas. Be amazed that God came in the form of a baby. He came to give himself.

So. Come let us Adore Him.

Merry Christmas.