Christmas Opposites

And she gave birth to her firstborn son.  She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger for there was no room for them in the inn.  Luke 2: 7
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​Raise your hand if at least once in the past couple of weeks you’ve looked at the Christmas gifts you’ve purchased and wondered if they were just right or fancy enough, fun enough, thoughtful enough or impressive enough. I completely understand how important gift giving is, but I also know it can suck the joy right out of the season.  It can be such a comparison game and that doesn’t usually lead us to a good place.  As we ramble through these next few days leading up to Christmas it might be time to look at things the opposite way and refill our hearts with some peace and joy.
If we really think about it, I would be willing to bet we can all think of a gift from our past that we remember fondly, and I would also hazard a guess that it is probably a simple reason we remember it.  For me, it was a doll bed made by my dad out of an orange crate from my Grandpa Ted’s grocery store. My mom painted it and made a little pillow and mattress and blanket for the bed. I still have it…my daughter used it and someday my granddaughters will too.  It isn’t special because it was fancy, expensive or impressive, in fact it was quite the opposite, but it was the love that adds so richly to its value.  It was perfectly wonderful, but it was completely opposite of what the other little girls in my class got for Christmas that year.
The gift of God’s Son was the greatest gift we could imagine, and the story of His birth has some opposites that we can learn a great deal from.  As a Christmas gift to yourself, take a look at these and ponder the depth of this 2,000-year-old gift and how relevant it still is today.
**We think about being noticed…clothes, cars, position, houses, what our kids are doing but Jesus entered in the darkness and danger of night as a simple “nobody” who quietly and with hardly any notice entered the world only to bring a power, majesty and grace that we still struggle to comprehend. Lord, when others see me, may they really see YOU!
**We can get a little steamed up when things become inconvenient or untimely for us or when people make too many demands on our time.  Mary rode for days and days on a donkey over rugged, dangerous terrain while 9 months pregnant only to get off the donkey just in time to give birth in the same spot a bunch of stinky animals hung out. Lord, remind me you will bring GOOD from every situation in your own time!
**We worry about money, investments, savings and nest eggs seeking the security we think they’ll bring but the most powerful, influential, memorable, virtuous, magnificent one to ever walk the earth had absolutely NOTHING except a devotion to His Father who provides every treasure we can imagine…he’ll do the same for us. Lord, help me trust in the riches of being your child!
**We fuss about being socially approved.  We ponder what others will think and the impression we make on the people we meet.  Two of the holiest humans of all time, Joseph and Mary were socially scorned and by many were treated as outcasts but they were firmly rooted in the Will of the Father and that was WAY MORE than enough. Lord, help me grow in obedience and humility like Mary and Joseph!
**We sometimes consider the company we keep and whether or not they are good for our image, but the birth of Jesus was made known first to the Shepherds who were one of the least impressive and desirable classes of people of the time. Lord, help me be like the shepherds!
**We worry about giving our kids “all the things” so they will be accepted and won’t feel unloved.  Jesus was raised by parents who didn’t even have enough money to buy the prescribed offering for the Temple Presentation.  They had to opt for the pigeons, which was the lowliest gift given by the poorest of the poor. Lord make me poor in the things of the world so I may truly enjoy the riches of your love and grace!
We should subscribe to the notion that ordinary is the new excellent!  Every single detail about the birth and early life of Jesus was ordinary to the casual observer but what made the ordinary excellent or extraordinary was faith and obedience to the Father’s plan.  We have a false notion that ordinary means insignificant.  If you’ve watched, It’s a Wonderful Life, you know that’s the whole story line.  George Bailey saw himself as insignificant because he never got to do fancy, exciting things but his whole life had been a series of good, ordinary things that had a profound impact on a multitude of people.  If we could just slow down a bit and realize from the moment Jesus entered the world, He was teaching us that the path to His Father is paved with opposites.
A Seed To Plant:  Spend some time praying with one or two of the opposites between Christmas story and your thoughts and attitudes. Ask God to help you discover the beauty of being ordinary.
Blessings on your day and May you have a Peaceful, Joyful, Merry Christmas!