Don't know about you, but I'm feeling the day-after-the-big-day blues.
All the build up, all the excitement of celebrating the birth of the King of Kings, all the decorating, all the cooking of favorite foods, all the fun and familiar traditions, all the happy anticipation of children returning home and gathering with beloved friends and family...and all too suddenly, it's over.
How I love Advent...but oh how I dread post-Advent cleaning up, putting up, straightening up, and sending off (of children). Makes me sad just thinking about it. Not to mention enduring a shockingly quiet, nearly empty house and a counter sadly missing all those triple chocolate peppermint cookies, cheese straws, and chocolate fudge that we've been devouring over the past few weeks. Sigh. How I'll miss the glorious songs of Christmas, the smells of Christmas, the lights of Christmas, and most of all, the joy of celebrating and being together at Christmas. I don't want to say goodbye to the baby in the manger and the sense of wonder permeating the world for a few brief weeks in December.
So in case you're like me and need a little post-Christmas reminder, I loved these simple but wonderfully true words from David Jeremiah that I read just this morning--
"Here’s the great thing. The incarnation of Christ—the truth of His entering the world for us—is a reality we never leave behind. His abiding presence is a constant reality. We never say goodbye to Him. We’re never separated from Him, not today, not ever. The Bible says, 'Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Romans 8:38-39). Take a parting glance at Christmas and then press onward into a new year with Christ!"
He's given us another Christmas to rejoice in His coming, and He's also graciously given us another day to love Him and to live to His glory. We have no earthly idea what challenges tomorrow will hold...but we know, know, know Who holds tomorrow. And if our Savior's there (and He is and forever will be!), well then, we'll be more than okay. We carry the Baby-Savior-King, the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor with us wherever we go and whatever we face...or maybe I should say, He carries us. So no matter the date on the calendar...or the mess in our homes...or the ache of saying goodbye, it's always and forever Christmas. We can rejoice no matter what, for Jesus is here.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)
To God be the glory.
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