This blog was so graciously written by Niki Kredit, a long time volunteer and friend of Katelyn’s Fund!
A Child has been born for us. A son is given to us; authority rests upon him, and he is named Jesus. Isaiah 9:6.
Oh that we can remember that this is the reason for the gifts, the celebrations, the music, the gatherings, the decorations, the stories and movies and magic of Christmas. Oh that we can wake up on Christmas morning and hear the Angels singing in our hearts, bow our heads in worship and speak to our king Jesus…..
Christmas morning is often full of last minute stuffing stockings, cooking and baking, straightening up for the family to arrive for our party. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just not the actual thing. That thing is the gift we all receive and recognize on Christmas day as Christians. It’s not even a thing, it’s a person and He is everything. He is Jesus.
I’ve had conversations with a few others in these weeks leading up to Christmas about how we will feel the day after Christmas…..some feel sad and deflated because it is all over for the year once again. Many feel relieved that it has come and is now going and gone for the year, sharing that all of the fuss and planning and buying and celebrating is exhausting and there is relief when December 26 arrives and everyone can begin to settle into more routine. Moms of young kids definitely can feel this way. Christmas is wonderful but also exhausting and stressful with littles. We have such high expectations for the gifts and the parties and the perfect outfits and the best pictures and sometimes it works out and sometimes there is just a lot of tears and yuck.
I would like to throw out a challenge for us all. Could we keep an eye out for the mom that’s overwhelmed, the kids who are having meltdowns, the retail employees who are overworked and drastically underpaid? Could we offer an extra measure of kindness? A smile, a few words of encouragement, a bit of extra love? I think we can all do that without it costing a thing.
On December 26 when the official Christmas day is done know this: A child was born for us. A son was given to us, and we celebrate Christmas so that we don’t forget. He came to earth as a human from Heaven and was born of a young teen mama in a really wretched circumstances….for us. Jesus was our gift. He came for us. Authority rests upon him….especially on December 25 but also every other day of every year. He is sovereign. He is everything. He is all that we really need no matter what we unwrapped from under the tree…..no matter if someone got a dumb gift or if someone said or did the wrong thing at the holiday meal. Just let it go. It is not the point at all.
The point is Isaiah 9:6. He is named Jesus. His glory and goodness far outlast Christmas Day or even Christmas season. He is for every day and all the days if we choose to accept Him and his love and saving grace, given to us when he took the punishment for all of our sins and flaws. He is holding out his hand to us and reaching for us but the magic only happens and the Christmas wish is only granted if we reach out to him and take hold of him. If we accept his gift of salvation then we have everything. Every Christmas wish we ever had, every gift we ever wanted, every perfect thing we hoped would happen at Christmas time. So Merry Christmas everyone!
Thanks for traveling along with me this advent season as I listened and wondered and watched for what God wanted to share. I did some binge shopping at Hobby Lobby mid-November and got some fun new holiday wall hangings but was gifted much more with what He chose to share through them. May your days be merry and bright and may all our Christmas white. , love Niki
