Pastors Ponderings

The hardest thing for me to buy after the fire was new Christmas decorations for our tree. As I stood in the stores looking at the variety of bright, dazzling, and colourful decorations I felt overwhelmed. A sense of grief for those decorations from Christmas’ past. The ornaments made with love from our four children. The ones that they hung with pride on our tree as it was their creativity and interpretation of what Christmas meant to them. Hanging those decorations each year filled me with comfort, joy and thanksgiving to God for His presence with us throughout the years.

This Christmas is different in so many ways. Celebrations in the middle of a global pandemic are different. There is no Coffee and Carols, Children’s Christmas Concerts and meeting together for our Candle Light Service. Families and friends are not gathering in the traditional way. Things are different. Change is the new normal.

I am reminded how different the first Christmas was. I am sure Mary had always dreamed of giving birth to her first child surrounded by family and friends. Instead found herself in a foreign land, surrounded by animals giving birth to the Saviour of the World. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. I like how Max Lucado put it, “He took on your face in hopes you would see His.” Mary found herself in a very different, hard place and yet was the first to look into the face of God! She experienced the glory, Emmanuel – God with us.

This assurance filled me with the same comfort, joy and thanksgiving I have felt as I have hung decorations from Christmas’ past. Don and I bought new decorations, put up a new tree and thanked God for the gift of Jesus! God is with us!

My prayer for you is that as you celebrate “different” this year you see Jesus! God is with you!