Greetings and Merry Christmas Beloved Readers,
As I ponder the first day of this New Year, I awaken neither hung over nor over partied. I am surrounded by a fresh snowfall and the temperatures outside are in the teens. It is both cold and beautiful. I have so much to be thankful for as the year begins and so much to look forward to. Traditionally the tree comes down and Christmas is pack up in decoration today. We have decided to leave it up a little longer.
I keep tokens of Christmas around me all year. In my office where I write there is a lovely little manger scene always on my desk, an ornament of Santa sitting with his laptop hanging by my lamp, and up on a book shelf a stuffed Santa. But this year I want the full effect a little longer.
In times past I had difficulty putting away the tree and trappings. It actually caused me pain to do it. With some difficulty I have overcome that and feel grateful for the years that Avalon put things away for me to save me the hurt. I wrote earlier about the ceramic manger scene under our tree this year. I am thinking of those seven precious figures and how often they have spoken to me throughout this Christmas season.
So many aspects of the small piece of history that is represented by the manger scene touch me this year. Joseph was unwilling to see Mary hurt when he thought the worst of her and when God intervened to correct him, he took the opportunity to be a father and husband in hand with all his heart. Mary endured fear and shame for the sake of what was right for the world, disregarding her own happiness. The Magi left whatever home they had in search of the new King so they could honor him. And Christ stepped away from the eternal companionship of his Father to take on flesh and be with us.
None of them thought of their own happiness above doing their part in bringing salvation to men. All day today people will tell me Happy New Year. I cannot truly say that I am happy, but that is not what Christ intends us to be. He intends us to have something far less fleeting. He wants us to have the love, joy, and peace that comes from obedience to him.
That is one of the significant things I see in a manger scene. That all involved left their homes to take part in an event that redeems us all. They each put what was right over their own happiness and in that journey found happiness and much more.
So on the seventh day of Christmas my Savior gave to me seven figures under the tree, six more days of rest, five perfect things, four children to gather round me, the blessing of the Trinity, twice the joy of giving, and a purpose for carrying his tree.
Wishing you joy in the journey a Merry Christmas, and a Christ filled New Year
Aramis Thorn
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