December 24, John 1:10-14
By Judith R. González, Hand in Hand Ministries, Springfield
"He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
The family had a long list of many things to buy for Christmas. They were looking in the best shops for sales full of bargains and good things to take home for loved ones.
Suddenly, Mark, the youngest child, pointed out something in the shopping center and exclaimed, "There, Mom, there is Christmas!"
When he could not get any response from his busy mom, Mark pulled his father's coat and repeated, "Daddy, there it is! There is Christmas! Daddy, there is Christmas," pointing toward a giant Christmas Nativity set decorating the center of the commercial area.
His father turned to see Mark and answered him, "Hurry up, we will be late!"
No one could hear Mark's little voice. After running from place to place, buying everything needed for their Christmas celebration, they returned home. When Daddy put Mark to bed, Mark started to cry, "Daddy, we missed Christmas. We just missed Christmas."
It seems that our world is very similar to the time when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He came and nobody could recognize him. He came to His own people, but nobody received Him. They were too busy to open their eyes and have a real celebration and to see the reason for the celebration. He came to dwell among his people, and His people were too busy to spend time with Him. They were expecting to see His glory, but they were too busy to open their eyes and see it — passing nearby and never recognizing or noticing. They were preparing themselves for the celebration, but they lost the reason for the celebration.
As you prepare for this Christmas, open your spirit and soul to the celebration's real meaning. Don't be so busy that you could miss Him. Don't be so busy that you find yourself selfishly forgetting His people who are weak and needy. Don't be too busy to receive Him and believe in His name. Don't be too busy to see His glory — the glory from the Father, full of grace and truth.
