‘Twas the Night
It's that time of year again. The period when we take a moment and reflect on the awesome Christmas story that many people first remember hearing as little children. I thought it would be good for us to take a moment and go back to that childhood and contemplate this beloved writing."'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring..." Wait, wait, wait. See, that's what most people think of when they remember the Christmas story. But that's not the authentic account of Christmas.
I hope that as you take a moment to ponder your life this Christmas season, you will remember the real story. The true story. The story that continues today and goes something more like this: "'Twas the night before nothing, back some 2000 years before, came the birth of a baby boy named Jesus, the blessed spirit, small and poor."
Every year at this time, I stop to remember the importance and significance of the birth of Jesus and the impact He has made in my life and in the life of my family. Frankly, without His love, care, grace, mercy, salvation, and forgiveness, I would not be who I am today. I know many people cringe when they hear the name of Jesus. That's probably because of some situation they've faced, that was somehow related to religion, that didn't turn out so great. But I can tell you that if you really met Jesus and got to know Him like I know Him, you would love Him.
This holiday season would not exist without the birth of Christ. There would be no other reason to celebrate Christmas if not for Christ the newborn King. This King has softened hearts that would have otherwise remained hardened. When someone has a heart attack, it means blood flow to a part of their heart is blocked for a long enough time that a portion of the heart muscle is damaged or dies. A doctor can often intervene, and by performing a particular procedure, restore a heart back to working condition.
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Only Christ is capable of performing the kind of healing that is needed. Over thousands of years, He has restored hearts that would have otherwise remained broken. He has, in reality, changed everything. And that's cause for celebration.
Where there was hopelessness, now there is hope. I, for one, have had the blessing of cashing in on this holiday. Not because of a great deal I found on Black Friday, but because my old, hard heart has been softened and I am much better as a person. The people around me also have a better life because of this birth we celebrate.
I want you to celebrate this season too. Celebrate for all the right reasons.
Merry Christmas!
