Christmas Life

I have about a zillion pictures that I took this year that most likely will go un-posted for some time. Or, until that time when I have nothing else to do and then I might pull out the pictures when everyone else is putting up green for St. Patricks and I will reflect back on this Christmas Season.
This Christmas Season has given me time to Reflect.
To Listen.
To Be Quiet.
To Cry and To Laugh all in the same moment.
To Remember.
It has been a deeper Christmas.
One surrounded by both Sorrow and Joy.
One filled with emotions of Grief, Anger, Relief, and Praise.
It's been a Christmas that has reminded me that the first Christmas was a messy one.

Luke's grandma became seriously ill just a few days before Christmas.
She fought for life until His birthday.
Christmas morning, while I was singing Carols back at home in the church that I had grown up in, she drew her last ragged breath and flew home to be with Jesus.
There's nothing quite like holding your sobbing 7 and 9 year old listening to them ask why Grandma has to die on Christmas.
There's nothing like being give the privilege of a in-your-face explanation for the birth of Jesus and being able to explain it to your tearful children.

The Pastor that morning spoke of death. Death is a part of the Christmas Story. I thought it a little odd that he was preaching on the "dark side" of Christmas. The slaughter of the innocent babies in Bethlehem. The cruelty and in-humanness of King Herod. The violent world that God chose to send His only Son into as a completely helpless baby to be cared for my a couple of homeless teenagers. Why?

To free us from Death. To deliver us. Christmas is about deliverance from death. Deliverance from the pain of this world that we can know the hope of life.

We arrived home from a beautiful service to the phone call of her passing. The Pastor's message was even more meaningful.

Christmas was one of Grandma's favorite times of year. Christmas was when we lost Grandpa just a couple of years ago. Christmas Day was a good day for her to go home to be with the Child-Grown-into-Man-who-came-to-Save-us. Christmas is the day her body was freed from her dementia and inability to form a complete sentance. Christmas Day is the day she was set free.

I sit here. All the activities and plans of our Christmas were either re-arranged, thrown out the window, or are on hold. The memories I so often try to create for my children don't seem to matter as much. The cookies, the presents, the advent calendar I have intentions to do but have failed to do all year but one, the caroling, the pageants and the plays.

Christmas comes into focus when the reason for His entering into our world is to save us from death.
Christmas Sings Life.