And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
~ Luke 2:7
How could there have been no room? This was the Savior of all Mankind. This was the King of Creation. How could there not be a place for him?
We do it all the time.
We all talk about the Christmas rush, the Christmas stress and how we’d all like to make things a little more simple every year. But, we never do.
Even though I’m on vacation, I’ve been up since 6:30 a.m. I didn’t plan it that way. I’ve been awake since 6:00 and tried to go back to sleep. It’s a sign of my age that I can’t sleep in like I used to.
But, I grabbed a cup of coffee and immediately sat down at the computer to check email, to check Facebook, etc., etc. I found myself writing little post-it notes about all the things I have to do.
I haven’t been making much room for the reason for the season.
I have dreams every year of what I really want for Christmas. I want to sit quietly in the comfy chair in the living room and read, watch tv or sleep with the soft glow of the Christmas tree.
Most years though we’re scrambling up to the last minute to get ready for the big day.
This year, it’s a little different, and I’m closer to my Christmas dream. We hosted a neighborhood party on Saturday night, so the house had to be clean and decorated. Granted, we nearly died in the preparation, but we made it and we’re not cleaning and decorating in anticipation of guests for tomorrow’s dinner.
Dinner is also different. We’re going out for pizza. No, seriously. But really good pizza. It’s what our older son wanted. So, we’re going to Bottom’s Up Pizza, then to check out the lights at the James Center. And then, another holiday tradition we love, we’re going to The Byrd Theatre to see It’s a Wonderful Life.
We also managed to finish our shopping yesterday. That’s pretty amazing since we just started on Sunday. Actually there’s one more errand, but I win on this one because it’s on a card the Mrs. has to sign.
But now, to stop. Stop looking at Pinterest. Stop refreshing Facebook. Stop checking email.
I won’t stop completely, but I’m stepping away from the office (which, unfortunately, still does need a good amount of cleaning).
If you need me, I’ll be sitting (or sleeping) by the tree.
And, the only thing I’ll be trying to accomplish is just to make a little more room.
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