It's Christmas Day!

By Tina Yerkes
We made it! It’s Christmas Day! As much as we love this season, it really is filled with so much to do & prepare. It can be stressful and exhausting. Any remaining items on your TO DO list no longer matter because Christmas is here. Take a deep breath. You made it. 
Mary, Jesus’ mother, was in a completely different situation. Her busy season was just beginning. Now her TO DO lists begin.
- Find a place to live. 
- Google search “ways to raise the Son of God”
- Keep little Jesus safe from this king 
- and the list goes on….
 God never promised that this life would be easy. Jesus didn’t come to earth because we had it all figured out.  Not then and not now. Life is messy. We get stressed, scared & overwhelmed, whether it’s the holidays or just a Tuesday. I’m not sure when our expectations shifted that if you are a believer in Christ, our lives should be smooth sailing. If anything, like Mary, the presence of Jesus changed EVERYTHING. 
“After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.  The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.”   Luke 2:17-20 NLT
I love this version of the scripture because Mary didn’t just ponder on these things but she thought about them often. That sounds more like a mom, who has a lot more on her plate and one with whom I can identify. It’s ok to have a lot on our minds, but please remember to take some moments to enjoy the precious gifts with which we have been blessed. Think about the special people in your life and, like Mary, think about them often. Keep them in your heart, whether you can see them in person or on a computer screen. 
Christmas 2020 is here. Life is messy but God is with us. There is much to celebrate.

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