It’s the Little Things

So much of Christmas seems to be about the big, in-your-face stuff. Like extravagant gifts that result in massive Visa bills in January, huge, dazzling displays of lights like Bentleyville, the Rockefeller Center Christmas trees.  But, lately I’ve been discovering that Christmas is all about the little things.

Things like seeing Christmas through the eyes of my child.  Daniel is so excited for Christmas. Everyday he can hardly stand the sight of the presents under the tree. Oh how he wishes today were Christmas Day and he could open his gifts NOW! I remember that kind of anticipation when I was a kid. Nathan has a word he made up for when you are waiting anxiously for a parcel to arrive in the mail and I think it applies to the kids longing for their Christmas gifts: “anticiparcelation.”

I also love it when I come out into the living room without my contacts and the tree’s white lights are all misty and sparkly. Nathan thinks it’s funny that I squint at every set of Christmas lights I see, but I love to see the lights all “fuzzy.” One of those “little things” at Christmas that brings me joy.

On Saturday we had a Christmas Breakfast at church.  These breakfasts always consist of an egg dish in some form. I am allergic to eggs, but no big deal.  I always just have something to eat at home. But, this week I got there and after I finished helping the ladies serve, Gwen Ornell said, “I have a special breakfast just for you, Molly.”  Then she handed me a plate with fruit and something wrapped in foil. She said it was a surprise.  It was a little breakfast sandwich she had made that morning and baked just for me with ham and cheese all warm and melty with no eggs! Wow! I felt so special. Talk about a little thing that just embodied the spirit of giving that Christmas is all about!

And there’s one more small thing that never fails to make me smile at Christmas and that’s when a store clerk chooses to go against the flow and wishes me a “Merry Christmas” instead of the stupid and “politically correct” “Happy Holidays.”

After all, the reason Christmas exists is because of something so very little that turned out to be big.

Isaiah 9:6,7

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace.”

“Hallelujah, we’ve been found, a child is born to save us now. Jesus.

Hallelujah light has come a Savior who will set us free.

A Promise for those who believe.”

(Hallelujah, Light has Come, Written and performed by BarlowGirl)

Hallelujah, we’ve been found.  Some of us didn’t even know we were lost when God sent his Son, this child to save us.  But when we recognize just how lost we are in sin and in darkness, what an amazing thing to be found.  Have you ever been lost or ever lost a child?  Being found is an incredible thing!  When Laura was about 18 months old we were at the Kansas City Airport together.  The automatic doors to the outside were just behind us and we were sitting down waiting to check in. I was going through our luggage trying to get my things together.  I bent over for about 3 seconds to get something out of a bag and in that instant Laura disappeared. When I sat up, my baby was gone!  I was instantly in panic mode.  I jumped up and started yelling into the crowded airport frantically asking strangers, “Have you seen a little blond baby? My baby is gone!” After what seemed like forever, but was probably only a few seconds, a kind gentleman took my arm and led me around the corner. He said, “Is this your baby?” There was Laura, stepping on the pad that opened the automatic doors and watching in fascination as they opened, then stepping off and watching them close. Over and over. Hallelujah, she was found! What an amazing feeling to be found!

Hallelujah, light has come, a Savior who will set us free. Jesus. There seems to be this popular notion these days that we’re all kinda ok in ourselves. You know, unless you’re like Sadaam Hussein or something, you’re basically good. Which is an unfortunate error, because if we’re not really dark people, we don’t need a Light or a Savior.

John 1:3-5

“All things came into being by Him (Jesus) and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life and the life was the light of men.  And the light (Jesus) shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

A Promise for those who believe. Jesus, the baby that God sent into the world at Christmas, His Son, is a promise to those who believe. A promise of life and hope and joy.

John 1:12

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”

A baby, born in a stable.  The only witnesses a teenage girl, a carpenter, some poor shepherds.  It seems like a small, insignificant thing.  But, it’s the little things that matter.  That baby grew up to die on a cross for our sins, rise from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the Father today. When you experience the little joys of Christmas let it remind you of the reason we have all those little joys and graces.  Because God sent a little baby to save us all from the darkness.