December 16th by Lindsay and Joe Marting
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation…and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
Luke 1:46-47b, 50
Mary’s Song…Our Song
Christmas has finally come…and soon the earth will fall “silent” at last. Darkness will settle in on this night of mystery and wonder…this night of beauty and hope. And so, we will come, once again, to hear the story…of a child who is born…a savior who is come…wrapped in swaddling clothes…lying in a manger.
The truth is, Christmas is either the happiest or the most melancholy season of the year for us! Our thoughts fill with memories of Christmases past, of times spent with family, of days when we were younger, that first Christmas when we came home from college, that first Christmas after the baby was born, that first Christmas as “empty-nesters” after all the kids had grown up and moved away.
And, of course, we always think, do we not, at Christmas, of those who once sat with us at the “Christmas table” in years gone by. Those who opened presents with us, reminisced by the fire with us, those who are with us no more. Others of us spend Christmas alone — older, and with no one left except in our memories!
It’s inevitable that we travel back in our thoughts to Christmases past when this starry night was so pregnant with anticipation and hope…and our family traditions so warm and precious.
We “want” so much for Christmas and, truth is, we “need” so much for Christmas, too! Not so much the sentimental and commercial…but the hope that Christmas bears and the sign of love that Christmas conveys…that the love of God came to us in flesh and blood…as a baby born in a manger.
And how can we best respond to the hope and love that Christmas brings? Like Mary, when she received the news that she would give birth to Jesus, we sing “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Prayer:
Come into my heart Lord Jesus, in this holy season. Amen.
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