O Holy Night

Often, right about at this point in the Christmas season, I become weary.

The house is decorated. My shopping is completed. The gifts are wrapped. My seasonal 'work' is done and I no longer know what to do with myself.

The next two weeks begin to feel like I am anticipating an end of something instead of a beginning. It's not Christmas yet but I'm already done with it: ready to go ahead and take down the decorations and move on into 2013.

My premature 'quitting' of Christmas hasn't really been clear to me before.

I'm not sure if it's memories of Christmas' past or the lack of certain people in my Christmas present but there is a sense that something I can't replace is missing.

I was sitting with my very sick little boy last night and had flash backs to his infancy. (Big boys of 8 don't often let you hold and rock them anymore). Those flashbacks made me think about the nativity and the whole gamut of emotions that came into play because God came down to earth.

These thoughts somehow shifted my perspective of Christmas to the correct perspective. Celebrating Christmas doesn't require anything except acknowledging the presence of Emanuel in the world.

His presence is what makes everything else in the world 'right'. If I search for Him in the next two weeks instead of what I have been culturally conditioned to expect from Christmas, this Christmas will be a holy experience.

Chesney Szaniszlo

'Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, 'til He appeared and the soul felt His worth.

The thrill of hope the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!'