How Christmas Feels

"Ironically, in those times when it least feels like Christmas, it might be most like Christmas. When nothing seems comfortable, or normal, or familiar, we are closer to experiencing the purpose of Christmas than at any other time."

- Dan Schaeffer

This past Sunday a little booklet was tucked into my church bulletin, Finding Peace at Christmas. At the time I didn't think much of it. I already had my Advent devotional routine set and wasn't going to add anything to it. But, yesterday morning this little booklet kept turning up on my desk. I'd move it over to a chair or to the floor and before I knew it it was back on my desk. OK. OK! I'll read it!

And, what a gift!

The first 8 pages were an edited excerpt from Dan Schaeffer's book The Real Spirit of Christmas. He describes how Christmas and the holidays can be a challenge for many of us because they don't hold the "perfect holiday spirit" - the decorated tree and home, the festive dinner, the joyful family gatherings. In fact, many of us face broken family dynamics, serious illnesses of family or friends, homelessness, joblessness, depression, and more. What Rev. Shaeffer suggests is that this is when we feel the Christmas spirit most because this is when we become "keenly aware of how much we needed God to enter our world. We can't make heaven on earth, no matter how hard we try, no matter how much we decorate. Sin has affected and infected everything we touch. We needed to be rescued. We needed a Savior."

And, so He came.

God's love for us was so great that Jesus gave up everything to come and rescue us ... to save us. He is the gift of Christmas. And, as we remember that first coming we are assured and confident of His coming again. There ... there it is. The gift of Christmas ... hope in Jesus Christ ... at his coming and his coming again! So, as we feel the Christmas spirit ... in what ever kind of Christmas we find ourselves in ... may we be filled with the wonder of His love and be comforted by His grace.