Busy-ness

This year I had intended to slow down and take time to reflect on the True Meaning of Christmas on this holiday. I had wanted to meditate on the Lord's coming and how it was the culmination of so many prophecies, events, and plans that God had set forth. That it was, and is, the pinnacle of history, and that now we are only waiting for its second fulfillment in the return of Christ. But sadly, I didn't do the job I wanted to do. The best I had was when Nick and I read the story together in the early hours while I nursed Elizabeth and we waited to hear my nephews crowing the dawn of Christmas morning. Church services were canceled due to the winter storm and blizzard-like conditions on Christmas Eve. The Christmas Eve service is my favorite part of the holiday because it is an opportunity to worship, reflect, and learn while focusing on our Lord and his birth into our world as a human, for our sakes and His glory. I missed it terribly this year.

And so, instead of being-filled with Christ, Christmas was really filled with shouting kids, opening presents, lots of good food and sweet treats, laughter, exhaustion, and cuddling my little girl close. Don't get me wrong, it was fun. And good! Good to be with family, good to enjoy each other's company, and yes, even nice to receive some pretty nice gifts. (Eliza did even better than me! :) But I would have liked to take more time to worship. It is something Nick and I have both resolved on for future years: if we create any Christmas traditions in our own family, it will be to slow down and take a moment to kneel before the reason we are celebrating this day anyway.