This morning, I made a big Christmas breakfast for me Adriel and I. Eggs, bacon and avocado on buttered English muffins, hot coffee, a yogurt parfait with raspberries and blackberries drizzled with maple syrup and granola, orange juice, and a slice of peanut butter toast. I brought the Christmas feast into our room on a smooth, multi-grain wooden breakfast tray Adriel’s father made for his mother by hand. Tomorrow morning, we will be traveling to my sister’s house for Christmas with family. But today, it is just the two of us. Still a little sleepy, we slowly ate by the glow of white lights hanging in our window, and snuggled, enjoying the beginning of our first Christmas as husband and wife.
After we finished eating, we opened the Bible and read the first part of the story of Jesus. I found myself particularly moved by the excitement surrounding the coming of Christ in Luke 1: the unborn baby John lept in Elizabeth’s womb as soon as he heard Mary the mother of Jesus’ voice; Mary filled with songs of praise; and Zechariah rejoicing in the long promised coming of a Savior.
And then Zechariah says something profound:
Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace” (Luke 1:78-79).
At Christmas time, we celebrate the coming of Christ, the light that would defeat sin and death forever. The gift of adoption as His sons and daughters, freedom and forgiveness from all our sins, is the best gift ever! 🙂 And it is worth celebrating!
In Asia, Christmas is a special time of year. Many people choose Jesus around this time — in fact, just last night at a Christmas party in X-town, EIGHT people decided to follow Christ! The love and light of Jesus is touching the farthest corners of the world. 🙂
Adriel and I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and hope that you are filled with joy as we celebrate Christ.