Every year my family spends a day in early December driving out to the country tromping around in the snow, i.e. muddy fields, and cutting down our Christmas tree. We post Hallmark worthy moments on social media documenting the day, and celebrate another mystical family adventure together.
What we don't tend to document as readily are the runny noses, muddy paw prints, spilled popcorn bags, wet mittens, bad attitudes, and spousal disputes (gasp!) that are often part of the annual trek to and from our favorite spot. Still, this is a reality for any of us trying to pretend that every moment in December is a perfect one.
When life's problems happen during the other months of the year, it just seems normal. But when Christmas comes along we wish to feel peace and joy–not the frustrations and stresses of life. Plus, the holidays bring a lot of extra events and planning, and craziness into our schedules. We wish our problems would end perfectly like all the warm and fuzzy Christmas movies we watch each year.
I'm not trying to be a Grinch. Remember, I love love love Christmas time. But the reality of it is that Christmas adds a whole bunch of emotions to our lives (happy, sad, guilt, longing, surprise) and so it can be hard to balance it all out.
I had a great conversation this week with an Elder pastor and dear friend and shared with him some of my frustrations for this time of of year. Frustrations I believe are shared by every person around me, yet rarely verbalized by any of us. He chuckled and suggested: "Maybe it's time you started talking about it!"
He's right. I do need to start talking about what is right in front of us all, but what I continue to miss. The mystical Christmas snapshot of perfection is simply a shadow of what we will experience in Glory someday. The reason why we experience the post-Christmas blues every year, is because even the best time with family and friends "roasting chestnuts on an open fire" will still be lacking something. It always has been. It always will be!
That is the very nature of what we are missing here on earth. We are longing for heaven. We are longing for the reconciled state where we can be at perfect peace with our Lord and Savior. Every man, woman, and child on this planet is longing for Emmanuel: God With Us! This longing is the 2nd Advent, longing for the Kingdom Age to come.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. Revelation 21:3
You are imperfect. Yet you are loved. You are damaged. Yet you have been given the greatest Christmas gift of all time. May you have a happy Christmas, while longing for something more. Jesus is better. Better than you expected.
Pastor Milo
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