Does your family have a favorite holiday tradition? Do you look at Christmas lights while sipping hot chocolate or apple cider? Have you sung Christmas carols or attended a Christmas Eve candlelight service? Are there things in your family that you just can’t let the holidays slip by without doing?
For as long as I can remember, my parents made Christmas feel so special. Instead of leaving our gifts under the tree, there was always a scavenger hunt. We had to look for what we were receiving. And still to this day, they have carried on this tradition with the younger generations. I never gave much thought to this as a child, and maybe not even as an adult, but as I began to have children of my own, the parallel to the birth of Jesus is beautiful. When the angels appeared to the shepherds, they didn’t bring the messiah to them. The magnitude of heavenly hosts gave the shepherds a mission, “go into Bethlehem and see what God has done.” Then the hunt was on. Some versions say they ran! One version says “they leapt with excitement.” Another version shows them telling others and gathering them to spread the news. All of this just paints a picture of a gift given to the world, the hunt to seek his majesty, and the joy of something new with the promise of a Father.
Can you smell your grandmother’s cooking if you close your eyes really tight? I can! A tradition I hold so tightly to in my heart is of my great grandmother making chocolate chip cookies. She’d pull up a stool that was just my size and guide my hands through the whole process. To this day, when I have my own children helping bake these cookies, I can hear her voice in my ear “a little of this, give a few more stirs, now let’s add some of that.” I can still smell her sweet perfume. My hands just begin to move and I know what to do. This was a transition I don’t know I was ever truly ready for…to go from a world with her in it at every holiday, to a world without her in it. My heart aches at times, but with His gentle hands, God picks up those pieces and allows me to go into that place again. Many people I know share a similar ache during the Holiday season. I believe Mary even had such a moment, as the Bible says she “pondered these things in her heart”. She knew He was coming for a purpose, but for that moment, she held Him in her arms.
When The Light of the World was sent to Earth, it was during a time and in a region where light as we know it today wasn’t available. There were no streetlights to guide the shepherds to the King. There were no lights on houses to brighten the evening path. I always think of this when we are driving through the beautifully lit neighborhoods. No two houses are the same, and I’m blown away at the creativity that goes into many displays. However, I often find myself stopping and taking just an extra minute or two when we approach a nativity scene. My way was lit to get there. I had guiding lights my entire life. I’ve known Jesus to be my Lord and Savior from a very early age, but what did the person standing next to me have to endure? What was their journey to Bethlehem? What light is shining from my own house to make sure a stranger also stops in their tracks to take a minute? To recognize a Father in Heaven who loves them so much, He would send this precious gift to us.
I pray I can encourage you all in this season. As your children giggle with glee of the gifts and games. For those who are having to find new traditions because old ones have faded away. When you are out in the hustle and bustle of the crowds. Enjoy the peace, find the light, shine for others to know His love on Earth.
We want to thank Ashton Riddle for sharing this post.
Women's Ministry 