Have you ever planned out a nice dinner for guests, spent a lot buying the food, then worked to get everything just right, spent the whole day preparing the meal and then sat down at the table to eat… and in 10 minutes it was all over?  All of the planning, expense, work… done in 10 minutes!

Christmas can be like that.  We decorate, shop, wrap, plan… and the day flies by so fast!  I remember my Dad once described Christmas as the big build up to the great let down, and perhaps that’s the way many people feel about it today; let down.

For those who put Christ first in Christmas, there’s no let down because we know that as special as the celebration of His birth may be, it’s just a day.  The result of His birth, life, death and resurrection are with us every day.  We have learned a better way of life, a way of life that encourages us to put others first and to keep a perspective about things; a priority system that puts importance on things that really are important, instead of putting priority on that which is merely immediate.

Through Christ, we have also received His gift of grace, of forgiveness of sin and restoration of our relationship with God… not to mention eternal life.  We know that our relationship with Him is in place and active at all times, and that there is no reason for a “let down” when the festivities are over.  In fact, having just celebrated His great gift, we have more reason to be excited today than we did yesterday, and why should that trend ever end?

Time to reflect is great, and so is special time with family and loved ones, but I am so thankful that when the time comes for “normal” to return, there is nothing lost, nothing gone, there is always more from the One whose life we celebrate!