I personally do not go to church on Christmas day. I have nothing against church and you can read my feelings on Christmas here. If I am honest, the reason I do not attend Christmas services is because I do not see how many different ways you can package the Christmas story.
I grew up in a Christian home. At one time, my mother was my Sunday School teacher, in addition to the estate Bible study teacher. I grew up knowing about baby Jesus and His miraculous birth. I could tell you the whole story in my sleep, word for word.
Yes, I know that Jesus was not actually born on 25th December. I know that the date was picked from a pagan religion as Christianity was growing. And this is not the reason I do not go for the Christmas service.
Have you ever gotten so familiar with something that you begin to take it for granted? That is me and Chirstmas services. I have heard the story so many times that I began to take it for granted.
I began to take God’s love for granted. I took Jesus for granted and if anything, I began to feel entitled. Of course, I was worth Jesus being born. If I was the only person on the face of the earth, of course Jesus would still come in the flesh, just for me. As I said, entitled! Entitled, not because the above isn’t true, but because, in my interpretation there is no room for grace, there is no room for mercy…and love is taken for granted.
So this is my mission and my prayer this Christmas season. I no longer want to be numb and familiar with the story of Love. I no longer want to recite His story from my mind, but I want to know it in my heart. I want to know what Love really is…or rather who He is. I want to know, in my heart, the significance of His birth. And I want to continue knowing it long after the 25th of December has faded into the arms of time. I never want to lose the real Spirit of Christmas…for it is because of Him that I am redeemed, righteous and living.
I do not want my Christmas story to be limited to a day…I want it to be limited to my life. This is my Christmas wish this year. What is yours?