The holiday season can be a difficult time for many. Heartaches hurt more, burdens feel heavier, and changes can be more challenging to accept. Loneliness looms larger and disappointment runs deeper as well. At times, Christmas joy can be hard to find.
Where do you find your Christmas joy? If you search for it in people—family and friends—those can change or disappoint. If in new possessions or extravagant treats, those can be stripped away or give only short-term fulfillment. If in well-laid plans for the perfect Christmas, a winter storm or unexpected illness can topple those in an instant.
Only in the manger can we find unchanging, unfailing Christmas joy. Oh, we can and do experience holiday joy with our families and friends, with our activities and traditions, with music and feasting. But the deep, abiding joy of Christmas—and of our lives—that no circumstance or human failing can touch can be found only in the constant of Christmas. Only in Jesus.
Let’s look to the manger this holiday season. Let’s let Jesus anchor our Christmas joy. For He is a rock like no other. He is the constant of Christmas.
“‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matthew 28:20b
*Flickr photo by jeffweese, Creative Commons License
I have that nativity set too :) Hope you have a wonderful week!
What a lovely post, and beautifully expressed thoughts. The birth of Jesus is central to our Christmas celebration. We always set a nativity scene in our home.
Amen, Sister! True Christmas joy must be firmly rooted in the manger.
I have the same Nativity set and enjoy setting it up each year. It’s a constant reminder to me of the reason for the season.
Enjoy these final days of preparation!
peace~elaine
Thanks for this timely reminder! With our lives in such turmoil right now & facing so much uncertainty from one moment to the next, I need to focus on the MANGER instead of on everything else. We have several Nativity sets in our home, each special in its own way. But I intend to go look at the manger in each one & soak in the peace from the Christ Child to do battle for me against all we are facing right now. God IS in control & He alone is worthy of our praise at this special time of year!!