On Christmas Eve morning, I ran upstairs to wrap Scot's presents. Last minute I know, but that is how I roll when it comes to wrapping gifts. Anyways, I decided to peek out my window and well inquire upon the neighborhood's happenings. When I did, I noticed several police cruisers heading down an adjournning street from ours, for which police officers soon entered a house and also stopped to speak to another individual outside who threw some bags in the trunk of her car. Sadly, my Christmas Eve smile fizzled as I soon realized that a domestic dispute had occurred between some family members at my neighbor's. My heart sank a bit and I went about my wrapping thinking about how Christmas time brings out a lot of stress and discourse amongst others.
Later on Christmas Eve night, after going to a Christmas Eve service; blowing out the candles on Jesus' birthday cake which the girls and I had made earlier in the day and for which we quickly partook of that evening; and after our tradition of opening one gift each before bed had occurred, we put the kiddos to bed. As I had finished happily singing Jesus Loves Me to my son as I do most nights when I tuck him in, I noticed that my white trash backdoor neighbors were in another argument of some kind again outside in their backyard. Yelling is one of their favorite forms of communication as most often times the majority of them have been drinking. I closed my son's blinds and thought to myself "Can't they give it up for Christmas Eve?"
I then journeyed downstairs and plopped myself upon my couch and began painting my nails as I watched Its a Wonderful Life. No sooner did I sit down to watch it, BREAKING NEWS appeared in bold colors on the television. I sat with tears in my eyes as I heard that a two-year-old child had been abducted in a car jacking when the suspect fled the scene after he had robbed, shot and killed two individuals inside another home. The child had been missing for a few hours and an Amber Alert was activated. I prayed for that child and the child's concerned and terrified family. I prayed for the family of those whose loved ones were shot and killed. I prayed for the suspect to make the first right decision of the night, which was to release the child unharmed, which he did do.
Scot then briefly got on Facebook and discovered that a friend from highschool lost her sister just a day or two prior to Christmas. My heart sank again as the sadness in this world was becoming quite evident to me on Christmas Eve of all nights...BUT wait CHRISTMAS EVE OF ALL NIGHTS!
As I sat there stunned thinking to myself that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are not spared from a sinful world, I realized how much we truly need a Savior. To many people, Christmas is just another day, and in many respects it is just another day. Sickness and death still occur; and hearts are still broken and emotions are felt. And in many regards Christmas is just another day--another 24 hours of life to live that include the good, the bad and the ugly. In fact, Christmas was the Church's response to pagan holidays. And when I think about that and how in many regards Christmas, the holiday itself, was man made so to speak; and when I also think about how people I know who were sick, or missing a loved one so much during this Holiday Season, it did feel like just another day in so many regards. However, even though the Christmas season is a human made tradition and at times a spectacle as a merchandiser's dream, to me it is still a great reminder of how much our fallen world is in need of Christ Jesus our Savior. It is only through Christ our Lord we are saved and redeemed, for He can mend the broken hearted. And with that I wish you all a belated, but again may be not so belated, and a blessed reminder...Merry CHRISTmas!
No comments:
Post a Comment