What Will Christmas Be Like This Year?

As I look forward to time on Christmas day with some family and highly anticipate New Year's with my two granddaughters, I think about what Christmas will be like for others.

Zannie spent most of this past Saturday afternoon and evening getting ready for Christmas day by "playing" in the kitchen making goodies to nibble on. For some, a nibble may be all they get. A full fledged meal with all the side dishes is completely out of the question. Hunger will not be part of our Christmas.

We do anticipate time with children and we dearly love our son by marriage and our daughter by marriage. Need I say anything about grandchldren? I think not other than we just can't wait. We are not living in dread of a family member coming home and creating some nightmare for us. For some, that dread is the focus of Christmas. Bad familiy relationships will not be part of our Christmas.

I totalled my car the day before Thanksgiving but God has provided exactly the car I had wanted and I am not dealing with broken limbs, internal damage, or worse. Other than still carrying around some of Thanksgiving's excesses, we are all in very good health. Many around us are dealing with loss or very poor health. If things continue as they are, these will not be a part of our Christmas either.

In talking to some new friends recently, I discovered that Christmas has no real meaning to them because Christ has no meaning to them. I think of how sad it is to go through the holiday that celebrates the birth of God Almighty in human form, Immanuel, God with us, only to be wrapped up in Santa Claus and stuff. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is great and what is preparing for the big day without Nat King Cole singing, "The Christmas Song" and "O, Holy Night"? But what is this holiday (holy day) without the Holy of Holies being a part of it? An absence of true meaning will also be absent from our Christmas, thankfully!

God has truly given us the opportunity for a Christmas for which we anticipate and greatly look forward. I pray that as you ask yourself, what will Christmas be like this year? you will have far more joyful hopes than fears and hurts. It's just a thought for today.

Merry CHRISTmas!