Christmas is a little different these days. No struggle to get the kids to bed so we can assemble toys and fill stockings. No busy schedule full of concerts, recitals and school programs. Our kids are grown with families of their own and the responsibility of seeing they have a full and happy Christmas is no longer ours.

Yesterday, Christmas Eve, I was home alone. My husband was at work and the two kids who were in town, were spending Christmas Eve with their in-laws. Lest you start to feel bad for me, I enjoyed my day just about as much as the actual “Home Alone” kid did once he realized all the benefits it afforded! Time alone is severely under-rated.

The house was so quiet. I lit a few of my Christmas candles, flipped on the Christmas tree lights and took out my Bible. I began to read and meditate on the accounts of Jesus’s birth in Matthew and Luke. Many of us have a tradition of reading the Christmas story during the season—perhaps as we gather around the tree as a family— but we don’t often read it alone, in a spirit of prayerful meditation. That time in the Word was a blessing.

As I read the birth account, numerous references from the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah and Hosea, stood out to me. These Old Testament books, written thousands of years earlier, foretold and foreshadowed the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ.

Friends, we are a part of a centuries-old narrative orchestrated by the God of the universe. The God who created us and then saw us fall to sin and death by attempting to go our own way. The God who provided a way for our redemption and forgiveness by sacrificing His only Son to an agonizing death on the cross. The God who loves you and I that much.

Through His son, Jesus Christ, we can have hope, peace, joy, and help in this world, and can live an eternity with God in a paradise we can only imagine. I hope you will take hold of that greatest gift of all this Christmas and ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord. Here is a resource on how to do that:  https://bethblamickwrites.com/how-to-become-a-christian/  or ask your local pastor or a Christian friend.

Today, Christmas Day, I will have 2 of my 3 birdies back in the nest (with their wonderful spouses) for a day of feasting, exchanging gifts, playing games, engaging in conversation, and of course, reading the Christmas story and reflecting on the year’s blessings. We’ll miss my oldest son and daughter-in-law who just had our 5th grandchild in another state and needed to stay put.

Even though Christmas looks different as we age, there is still so much joy and meaning to the season if you only look closely. Enjoy the moments you have with your spouse and with those grown kids when they do find their way home. Always keep the porch light on and your arms ready with a loving, welcoming hug. Find some time this year to meditate on the story of the birth of Jesus. After all, that is truly what Christmas is all about.