Just the other day, I was surprised by something. My daughter has two friends that come over to our house quite regularly. Sometimes I think they are additional daughters here, and I'd be okay with that! They are precious! Awan had one of the girls upstairs and I had put out a fisher price Manger scene for Tad to enjoy because the Christmas story for him is somewhat a new concept for him this being his first Christmas here. Awan asked her friend who is also 8, hey do you know what this is? She looked at Awan quite clueless. Awan began to share the Christmas story with her, well with her childlike twist! She told her about Jesus and Mary and Joseph being his step parents, ( I liked that part!) Most kids these days can relate to that, and then she shared about the shepherds and the here is the part I love!! Oh yeah, she said I love these guys, here are the three amigos! And continued to tell her story. I grinning from ear to ear with her translation of her story. Loving every minute of it. Her friend sincerely asked why a barn? That seems silly. Awan surprised even me with her response. She said. Oh, my God isn't one that has to have much, he knows he already has everything. Wow. Such profound truth from someone so little. And from someone who thinks God was visited by the three amigos.
So I have seen so many posts on facebook, and angry ones at that. It is OUR SEASON. Call it CHRISTmas. This fight or demand we put on ourselves that we think we have to keep this time of year Holy or Pure. Well, she reminded me. It is Holy, It is Pure. It was a Holy holiday when God choose a Manger not a Palace. God's stature tells us that he is and will always be God. We all know that. He has his name written on everything. On the living trees we cut down, that smell like fresh pine. On the fresh white snow falling from the sky, from the sound of a baby crying, from the sound of hearing jingle bells being sung because he has given them the ability to sing. He never asks for the credit or fame. That is not who he is. He represents love. Sacrifice. Hope. Joy. And the gift of grace to a person standing at the counter wishing you a Happy Holidays. We can honor him much more not by demanding a certain phrasing this year, but by remembering who he is. Humble. The word Holiday means this:
a day fixed by law or custom on which ordinary business is suspended in commemoration of some event or in honor of some person. Is this not true? Is Christmas not a day in which we set it aside to celebrate or commemorate and honor CHRIST?
My challenge is, lets refocus ourselves off of how we wish someone happiness, lets just wish them love no matter how they wish to gift it to you this season. I have a beautiful Holiday Tree up, and I know what it stands for. It represents the grace, that came with a baby, who humbled himself to something that would not intimidate us. We can hold, a baby, love a baby, and are not threatened by a baby. He offered us a Savior we can hold. Not one we have to fear. He was born in a barn. If he was offended by words or actions, I think this would have been first on his list before the way we greet people. Um. people a barn, really? Not I am not okay with the word Holiday because I deserve Christ in Christmas. Or maybe he would be more offended by the excess of money we waste on the more fortunate vs the needy this time of year instead of how we use our terminology? Lets offer the people who really don't understand this story a feeling of love vs a feeling of humiliation for calling it the wrong thing. We don't have to defend God. He is God. We can defend his people. They are the ones needing his love.
