Christmas ’24 … in 3

Wait, what happened to Christmas ’24 … in 4?

Well, it’s like many things at the busy nature of the season … so many things to do in so little time. Some things get overlooked and missed.

What have you missed? That last minute Christmas gift … batteries for those kids’ toys you will need on Christmas morning … enough desert for the Christmas meal? Maybe you forgot to put that Christmas party on your calendar and now you have three things to do at the exact same time. Something will go amiss.

Maybe it is something serious and sobering. Yesterday, I attended a memorial service for a loving father, husband, friend of many … who was lost in a very tragic mishap. This season, the family and loved ones have a huge hole where a loved one once filled. This is the first Christmas where neither my wife or myself have no parents remaining.

Many Christmas movies deal with a similar theme … someone does something that endangers even the existence of Christmas ever again … Santa Clause 2 (needs a wife), Santa Clause 3 (Jack Frost takes over), Red One (The Winter Witch kidnaps the man himself.

Maybe it’s something else that causes problems … such a foggy day that needs a shiny crimson nose to rescue the day … money goes missing at the Savings & loan that makes you want to end it all, but you’re given an insight to life as if you never were … travel plans go awry and it takes planes, trains, and automobiles to get home – with an unusual partner – just to get home. A green, mysterious mountain dweller steals the tinsel.

——————-

Think about that first Christmas. Mary lost her plans of a husband, home, kids, etc. that now is – willfully – yielded to God’s plans. Joseph lost his honor (until he got it back). Herod lost his confidence … which was based on evil domination – and he lost it to the Christ Child. The Magi lost their way – ended up in Jerusalem until the star reappeared. Shepherds lost their quiet night … and they knocked on many doors in the early hours … causing most of Bethlehem to lose their night’s sleep. Sadly, many families lost their young sons when Herod tried to get his confidence back.

But in the end, God gave so much more than any one lost … He gave hope, peace, joy, love. He gave light. He gave redemption. He gave Himself.

And what He did then, brings the same hope, joy, peace, love, redemption – today. And with that … Christmas is a reminder God is the God of miracles. Nothing would ever stop God from fulfilling His plan. That’s real good news …

I hope you know this good news personally. There is nothing so missing, that God can’t fill that void. And when it comes to loved ones, for those who know the hope and reality of God’s love, we will see them again. The loss/separation is temporary.

This seems to be a sober article, but it really is one of hope. Real hope. And that hope has a name. And that name is Jesus.

——————-

Here’s a question. What TV or movie show is your favorite and how does ti deal with a problem that seems to cause all one’s Christmas’ plans go haywire?