It Is Over....

Well, Christmas is over. And I must admit that instead of the usual sigh of relief and rush to return my house to the "usual order" of things, making room in the living room again once the tree is gone, clearing the counters of snowmen and nativities, seeing the girls's dresser tops again once the plastic nativities are put away.....this year, it was not at all relief that I felt. This year I felt a sadness, a solemn reverence for the significance of the time I had spent alone with my Jesus in remembrance of His incarnation.

This time, as I replaced the newspaper wrappings around the ceramic wise men from my nativity scene, I thought of their wonder at a King who would teach them and save them. I thought of their travels for months through trecherous deserts to reach the appointed place. I had tears in my eyes as I wrapped the earthly parents. How obedient and trusting Mary and Joseph had been! I thought of the inconvenience of such a birth. Maybe Mary had planned on teaching or sharing her faith with young women and making a "difference". Now, people will see her, with a child what will they say? or think?? I appreciated their dedication to obedience despite the fact that their claim regarding this birth probably seemed proposterous to most.

As, I wrapped the shepherds, I was thankful at God's choice to include them in this glorious night. Shepherds who smelled of sheep came to touch and worship the King. Would Mary allow these dirty uneducated people to enter her birthing room and expose themselves to her new little baby? I believe she welcomed them with as much right as she herself stood before that little manger. I believe they all worshipped the King of Kings that night, I believe they all pondered the Priest of Priests, I believe that they all honored His Sacrifice of all Sacrifices. God is human flesh.

Those same little fingers that wrapped around Mary's finger that night would be the same fingers that would heal the blind or string through the hair of the children he taught. Those same fingers would later drop with blood as He took on all my sins, took them on as His own. All the selfishness, all the anger, all the gossip, all the impatience, all the actions that are so opposite to His nature were laid on Him as His own, so that I might be clean before the Heavenly Father....whew! That is just such an overwhelming love. Who can know it?

I know it! I appreciate it. I wonder at a God who would love me, as I am. I marvel at His righteousness and His perfection. I am moved and compelled in an overwhleming way to worship the King. Oh, how they must have been moved that night.......I don't want to wait until next year to experience the wonder of Christmas again. For me, it's not over.