Relevant Church

I was at the mall yesterday and I saw an amazing sight. Among the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, there was a line of wide-eyed children eagerly awaiting their two minutes on Santa’s lap. You could almost feel the anticipation in the air. They were going to meet the man that they were working all year to impress. The one man who could make or break their Christmas. They were going to see magic with their very own eyes. No wonder kids cry, wet themselves, and throw up. The pressure is incredible.
I wonder if that same feeling was in the air on the night of Jesus’ birth? How wide-eyed were the wise men when they traveled to meet the Messiah they had so long anticipated? How excited were Joseph and Mary to receive the most precious gift possible and begin their journey with Jesus? How relieved was the world to finally receive it’s King? If there was ever a night where magic was truly in the air, this had to be it!
I remember telling my friend Stephanie that when you really listen to a sermon, it will almost always pertain to what’s happening in your life that week. God always speaks to you if you’re willing to listen. I proved myself right this week. (Sidenote: I’m a woman, and I LOVE being right!)
I wasn’t planning on going home for Christmas this year. I didn’t want to endure the drive, and do the whole “everybody is full of joy” routine. There is nothing I hate more than being fake. I decided to use Christmas as a free day off of work to catch up on some much needed rest. I’ve been channeling the Grinch, Scrooge and all other Christmas villains to put me in the mood. I’ve been practicing my best “Bah-Humbug” for weeks now!
Of course, God had other plans for me. Paul spoke this week about traditions that made me nostalgic. At the end of the service, the song that the band played kicked me right in the gut. The smallest line “Baby please come home,” melted away the frost that the season had put on my heart. It was as if my mother had said it herself. I’m still not thrilled about the idea of being with my family this year. Almost everything in me is telling me not to go. But then there’s that voice in my head that grows stronger every day. It’s saying that it’s not about me. It’s telling me that the most amazing things come out of sacrifice. It’s telling me to trust.
I’ll be home for Christmas….you can count on me. There won’t be snow or mistletoe. I’m not really concerned with presents under the tree. It will be bittersweet, and exhausting. I will inevitably question my decision to be there. Maybe I’m wrong, though. What if I saw a little magic of my own this Christmas? What if I went home and came back relieved and ready to start next year’s journey with my family and with Christ? What if my visit was the one that was anticipated, and it made the day a little more special for someone I love? What if I really am wrong? Maybe I’ll learn to love proving myself wrong as much as I love proving right. Well, maybe almost as much.

Tiffany