At Christmastime, I start thinking about spending time with my friends and family. I love knowing that I am going to see my whole family on Christmas Day. For example, my large family begins with my mom, flows through my brothers and their spouses, and then collects all the nieces and nephews. The top age is 78 and ends, (for the time being), at a 2 year old. It’s quite a crew! The farmhouse where my mom recently moved will burst at the seams with all the people, food, and presents. At the end of the day, I’ll have presents to take home, some of the kind I’ll need to carry to my car. But honestly, the real treasures I get that day will be the memories-the laughter at my brothers’ crazy stories, the happiness of the kids with their toys, (or the fun of playing with the leftover boxes), and the realization that this day is a perfect gift.

Truthfully, not every day feels like a perfect gift. There are days when life takes a shot at us, and it seems too much to take. Sometimes it feels like we’re fighting this battle called life all alone. But that’s not true, because long, long ago we received the perfect Christmas gift. It came in the form of a little baby in the small town of Bethlehem. Likewise, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1:3, NIV) God is with us. That means  we don’t ever need to face another tough day alone. We have God by our side. “The Lord is with me, I shall not be afraid.” (Psalm 118:6, NIV) So this Christmas, even if we open an ugly sweater or a 6 pack of underwear, it’s okay, because we’ve already been given the perfect gift.

Things to do today:

1. Reflect on Immanuel: God with us.
2. Read a similar blog called ‘Love Came Down at Christmas’ and listen to songs ‘Immanuel God With Us,’ and ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel.’