Advent - Day 26

Celebration – Luke 2:8-20
Thursday, December 25

Merry Christmas! Today is the day of celebration. It is the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth. We have prepared the way for the Lord. He has come into your hearts and into mine. Glory to God in the highest!

Emotions run high today. We are glad to be with family, excited to watch the children open their gifts, touched by the thoughtfulness of others. We are also hurried and concerned to get the whole dinner ready and on the table all at once. By mid-afternoon or early evening a wave of fatigue washes over us and maybe the thought, “I’m glad today is over,” enters our tired brains. The day is over, but the truth of what we celebrate lives forever. May we never forget!

Food for thought: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever
Psalm 107:1).

Tom and I wish you the most joyous of Christmases! As we have gotten older and our activities during the season have decreased, we find we have more and more time to count our blessings and to really focus on the birth of our Lord. Try as we might, the "Reason for the season" sometimes has gotten pushed into the background, but now, in retirement, we celebrate more than ever. That, in itself, blesses us.

I posted this final Advent devotional early today because we have dinner at our house tonight with Tommy, Liz and children and Liz's parents who are here this week from Natchez. After I'm finished with the last dish, I'll be ready for bed! We have been busy in the kitchen most of the day doing things ahead of time so we're both taking a brief rest. Fortunately, Tom has felt like assisting which not only makes things easier for me, but more enjoyable as well. He has kept the dishes washed and made umpteen trips to the freezer!

We have heard from many of you and want you to know that we treasure each and every communication just as we treasure each and every one of you! God bless you as you celebrate this most holy of days.

Blessings,
Pastor Margaret