Twas the Night after Christmas, and all through the house, all the creatures were stirring, including the dog, the parents, and several sick children. This has been our world for the past few days with fevers spiking and a general feeling of not being well. After visiting with extended family and exchanging gifts this past Sunday for Christmas, our family received the not so welcomed gift of influenza as well. Fortunately my wife and I did not contract it this time around, or not nearly so severely, or it may have been worse. There are several pros and cons to spending the Christmas season and any other celebration with friends and family, but hopefully the positives outweigh the negative costs of such encounters. There are always people I’d like to talk to more, and some a bit less, but hopefully these interactions can help build good memories for all the family members. How do things change in your family from before to after Christmas?
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17
Besides the celebrations, how does the mood and attitudes change in your home from before Christmas to the days following all the gatherings? Once all the presents are open and you have boxes of toys, and things you did and didn’t ask for in your possession now, is your heart any different or more or less Grinchey compared to one week ago? After all the preparation, celebration, food, and presents, are we any different now than we were on Chrstmas day? Or is it the same as our demeanor at church on Sunday and the same but different person on Wednesday afternoon? Was my life changed by Jesus at all this year? Hopefully Christmas is more than just a reminder or a tradition for Christians each year as we re reminded of the Reason for the Season, but more so the reason we call Him our Savior.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Yours in Christ,
Clark
