The days after Christmas are a unique blur of crumpled wrapping paper, containers of goodies, and a return to normal activities. The more days off you have over Christmas, the greater discombobulating of normal routines you experience. Returning to a regular work or school schedule can be a good feeling of a return to normalcy. It also carries a feeling of disappointment.
The aftermath following Christmas involves a sorting out of how well your expectations of Christmas were met by the meal, gift giving, and relationships of family and friends over the Christmas holiday. The important people in our lives are not going to remember this year’s Christmas by the quality of the meal or the quantity of gifts. Memories are strongest by the unexpected.
Christmas Day, my son cleared a patch of ice off on the pond. He and I were skating while my oldest son did a little more snow-blowing of the rink. His sudden yells brought our attention to my son’s dog struggling to get out of the water where she had broken through. She was exploring around a muskrat den and broke through where there was thin ice at the muskrat’s entrance.
My son pulled his dog out and went up to the house, skates and all, to get his dog into the warmth of our home. The pungent smell of musty swamp and wet dog filled the basement where soaked towels lay in heaps.
The birth of Jesus was the result of Father God having sent Him to rescue you and I from drowning in our sinful ways. Jesus carries us to shelter and warmth. He removes the pungent smell of your sin with His forgiveness. The best aftermath of Christmas is to celebrate your rescue and live out the special destiny God has planned for your life.
Psalms 103:2-5
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all His benefits--
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The aftermath following Christmas involves a sorting out of how well your expectations of Christmas were met by the meal, gift giving, and relationships of family and friends over the Christmas holiday. The important people in our lives are not going to remember this year’s Christmas by the quality of the meal or the quantity of gifts. Memories are strongest by the unexpected.
Christmas Day, my son cleared a patch of ice off on the pond. He and I were skating while my oldest son did a little more snow-blowing of the rink. His sudden yells brought our attention to my son’s dog struggling to get out of the water where she had broken through. She was exploring around a muskrat den and broke through where there was thin ice at the muskrat’s entrance.
My son pulled his dog out and went up to the house, skates and all, to get his dog into the warmth of our home. The pungent smell of musty swamp and wet dog filled the basement where soaked towels lay in heaps.
The birth of Jesus was the result of Father God having sent Him to rescue you and I from drowning in our sinful ways. Jesus carries us to shelter and warmth. He removes the pungent smell of your sin with His forgiveness. The best aftermath of Christmas is to celebrate your rescue and live out the special destiny God has planned for your life.
Psalms 103:2-5
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all His benefits--
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
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