At what point do we lose our sense of wonder and settle into cynicism? At what point is it just not cool to be amazed by the things we see happening all around us? Who said it was foolish and naïve to be filled with wonder? When did Christmas become more about organization, cleaning, and planning than reflection, wonder, delight and amazement?
In the movie Elf, that’s what makes Buddy the elf so amusing – his sense of awe and wonder about the season. He is completely overcome by the magic of it all and it’s as if it was the first time he had ever experienced it. But we don’t strive to be like Buddy – that seems immature and unrealistic. We’re more like the Father in the story- cynical and wanting Buddy to “grow up” and “get real.”
Let me see if I can break through the cynicism and the jaded view of Christmas for a bit. Allow yourself to see Christmas in a new way today. Allow yourself to delight and wonder and sit in amazement as we’re reminded of some pretty wonderful things.
- God, the maker and ruler of the universe, the one Who created all and is in all and who needs nothing, decided He didn’t want to spend the rest of eternity without you. He knows your name! He knows ever hair on your head. He knows what you did and what you are doing, and He loves you still.
- This same God fashioned a plan to rescue us from our sin – our own choices to disobey Him and turn our backs on Him. So, He sent His only Son to save us. Imagine how much love the Father has for the Son! We can’t imagine the amount of love He has for us, but imagine how much love He has for His own Son!
- His plan was this- to send the essence and nature of the son to walk among us and be fully human and fully God at the same time! He wanted His Son to experience everything we would experience so He didn’t send him down to inhabit a place in a royal family of privilege, but the answer to God’s big plan of redemption included two inexperienced teenagers.
- God didn’t just send His Son the night of Jesus’ birth – He patiently waited as Jesus grew in Mary’s womb. He didn’t take away the pain of childbirth for Mary or for Jesus, but He brought her through it- being present with them the entire time.
- Can you imagine God watching His only Son cry out for food? What must it have been like for Him to see His son depend on this young, inexperienced mother for protection, sustenance, and well-being?
- What a precious, perfect package; what an amazing, unlikely plan. All because God loves us so much that He was willing to become human to show us a better way to live.
- He loves you so much that He took on the form of a tiny, vulnerable baby so that He could come close and be present with us.
If you have a nativity set in your house, get baby Jesus and hold Him in your hand. Imagine what Mary must have felt as she held the tiny, vulnerable Son of God Himself. Imagine what it must have been like to carry Him in her womb for 9 months as an inexperienced teenage girl. Think about how much love was wrapped up in that one baby. Consider how much God gave in the gift of His son. And become more amazed.