It’s all over for another year. Christmas, that is. Accompanied by a sense of mixed relief and sadness, for me the first week in January is busy with the work of packing away decorations and storing what’s left of decadent goodies in the freezer. The list of things-to-do also includes the job of fitting left-over rolls of wrapping paper into corners where they will be neither obvious nor forgotten. Although the weeks and for some, the months, of preparation that go into making Christmas a highlight of the year are marked by weariness and sometimes, stress, those thoughts are as quickly packed away as the trapping that go with the season. I tuck a lot of beautiful memories into those plastic bins destined for storage in the basement.
Over the past month I’ve explored ideas for choosing gifts as well as thoughts concerning wrapping and unwrapping the presents we’ve chosen to give and the ones we’ve been blessed to receive. Heading into 2015, I’m facing the new year with a much more gentle attitude toward myself and others.
Perhaps it’s the aging process or a growing understanding of what God’s love is about but in the midst of the pain and ugliness of a world seemingly determined to destroy itself, the Prince of Peace still reigns in the heart of those who ask Him to be their Lord. Where any trace of God seems negated by evil, Emmanuel, “God with us”, is reborn within the life of anyone who accepts His request to come in. In other words, the peace and joy of Christmas don’t have to exit with the entrance of another year.
“…the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.” (Deut 11:11,12)
Happy New Year, His love is watching over you!
