Confronted By Christmas . . .

The Immanuel Bible Foundation of Normal, Illinois invited me to minister at their 15th Annual Women’s Christmas Celebration earlier this month.  900+ beautiful women gathered in a hotel ballroom to usher in the Christmas cheer.  I never saw so many festive, holiday sweaters in one place!  This year’s theme:  Confronted By Christmas.  A rather arresting title, don’t you think?

The day after Thanksgiving I decided to brave the attic and pull down the Christmas decorations.  It was just me and Daisy Doo at the house so I swooped my hair up in one of those attractive banana clips and went to work.  The two nearest Christmas CDs at hand were Diamond Rio’s The Star Still Shines and Sarah McLachlan’s Wintersong.  Perfect.

With the sounds of Christmas in the air, I thoroughly enjoyed decking the halls of my new place.  White lights and garland.  Poinsettias.  The “praying Santa” figurine.  The traditional Nativity Advent calendar.  Oh, and the stockings, minus two.  My son is married now and living with his new bride.  And although my former husband was not with us this time last year, still this is our first Christmas since the divorce was final.  So, there were only two stockings to hang this year, mine and my daughter’s.  That’s if you don’t count the little one for Daisy Doo. 

Only DivorceCare’s session on Surviving the Holidays could have prepared me for the emotions that ambushed me that afternoon.  Just when I was perfectly content humming along with the music, putting out the Christmas hand towels and scented candles, it happened.  As I stood back to admire my handiwork, heavy sobs came upon me like a freak blizzard on a sunny day.  I knew to let it come.  I knew I needed to give myself permission to feel the emotion.  So, I did.  Had a good cry.  Wore myself out.  And plopped down on the couch to recover.  I was definitely confronted by Christmas.  But, then . . . .

Then came my Prince of Peace to the rescue.  As I sat and looked around at all the Christmas decorations, it occured to me that while we busy ourselves decorating, baking, shopping, wrapping, all in preparation for that special day, the Day of our Lord’s Birth, in reality, Jesus is already here.  He has been all along.  God with us, our Emmanuel.  And, in that moment, that sacred encounter, I realized I could be more comforted by Christmas than confronted by it.  And so I was.  And that is the end of this Christmas tale. 

O Tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,

Cheri