Just like that, the big day has come and gone. How was Christmas for you this year? Was it a letdown this year? Is your heart full or disappointed? When I was a kid I was always disappointed that the magic of Christmas was kind of over by now. Maybe you're exhausted from all the activity and preparations. Maybe you're trying to get your house back in order. Maybe the tree is already down. Maybe you're already trying to set your eyes on the new year. If we're not careful, we can too quickly turn the page on Christmas. But make no mistake--the season of Christmastime has only begun.
You've probably heard of the Twelve Days of Christmas. There's even a song about the twelve days. You know, the one with all the geese, the swans, the calling birds, the French hens, turtle doves and the partridge in a pear tree. I'm still not exactly sure why someone would want all those birds, but that's the song. Traditionally the Twelve Days of Christmas actually begin on Christmas Day, not conclude with it. Christmas is meant to continue past the big day. In the church calendar we call it Christmastide. It's the twelve days after Christmas. In fact, some traditions carry that season much longer than others, but the point is the same. We're not supposed to just rush through one day and move on to the next thing. We're meant to slow down and savor the meaning of Christmas now. In fact, I think this is the best time to really enjoy the holiday of Christmas. It can be easy to get too caught up in all the things leading up to Christmas--the shopping and the gifts, the parties, the decorations, the food and preparations. Those can all be wonderful things, but when do we find the time to rest in the meaning of Christmas? If Christ has come as the Savior of the world and we're reminded of his great grace, that should cause us to slow down from our need to be busy, to be productive, to do all things we NEED to do, in order to receive the ultimate gift of salvation. I think we need to learn how to rest in that new reality.
Let's not be in such a rush to move on in our lives that we miss out on slowing down to savor the reason for the season--we have been set free from sin and death, free from our failure to earn salvation, free from the burdens of this world and set free to live with God. In eternity we will experience the ultimate rest of knowing we belong to God Almighty forever. Christmas is supposed to be the first taste of that reality here on earth. God invites us this season to slow down, to remember that Christ has come, that he lived, died, rose again, went to heaven and left us his Spirit so we would know the joy and rest of the presence of God. Let's slow down and savor the rest of Christmastide.
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