Christmas in My Heart

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In the last few days, Christmas has been happening in my heart. Not the tree, ornaments, and stressed out Christmas, but the beautiful amazing and totally wild story of Christmas.

It all started when I was driving home a few days ago. I caught myself or should I say, my daughter caught me singing (real quietly) a Christmas carol. "Mom, are you singing a Christmas song?" She asked incredulously. I had to admit I was.

As I continued driving and zoning out in my own little world, I noticed I was absentmindedly singing many different ones. I've had a lot on my mind lately :)

The next day, I ended up babysitting my grandkids. When I got to my oldest daughter's house, she had just put on the movie she had bought for us-one for her and one for me. It was The Nativity Story--which I had not seen before. I told her to back it up and I watched it. I thought it was beautiful. It gave me such a feeling of awe and reverence for God all over again. God is so awesome! If you haven't seen it, you should! Then I watched it again with my kids last night.

Yes, Christmas is hitting me so hard. God's plan for saving His people was so amazing. So out of the box. Here were Mary and Joseph--and God came along and planted the Savior of the world in this young girl's womb, communicating His plan to them through dreams, leaving them open to the judgement and ridicule of those around them, for their "apparent" lack of purity. But the ones who mattered, knew the truth. God made sure of that. In the movie, an old, wise shepherd told Mary that we all have a gift and that she was carrying hers. In the end her gift was his, too, and all of ours.

I love the fact that God is well...God. That He works miracles, that He involves Himself with us. That He keeps His promises and delivers His people. That no matter what happens, He loves us. Even if we walk away or never acknowledge Him, His heart yearns after us. He chases us and tries to woo us back to Himself.

...what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8:4

I started writing this post before I found the video for One Thousand Gifts, that I shared last night...which opened my eyes to all the gifts around us that God gives. Yes, it truly is Christmas in my heart, gifts and all :) I pray that you and I will see the wonder of life and the beauty in the simple gifts-that we will pause often to relish them. That we would look to God, with gratitude, for our salvation and all the blessings He gives us.

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