When I retired, Robyn and I moved from Kerrville to Austin; from a house that is, basically, three stories with five bedrooms and four full baths, to a modest three-bedroom, two-bath home. As you can imagine, we have had to go through some major downsizing of stuff, both before and after the move. And rather than lament the loss of space and stuff, we truly see this as a time for right-sizing our home and life together.
And then came Christmas! The first thing we did was to pare down the amount of Christmas decorations we have and to consolidate them into fewer storage totes to fit in our limited storage area. Second, we had to get a smaller Christmas tree. We gave away our old full-sized tree and got a “slender” model to fit our small living room. And we have to be more choosy about which ornaments go on the tree.
As we began to decorate, we had to downsize some more. There’s just not room for all of the Nativity scenes, Santas, snowmen, garland and lights.
Looking at my favorite Nativity scenes, I’m reminded of Mary and Joseph who were told, “There’s just not room for you at the Inn.” But God made a way, and they somehow found a stable to shelter them from the chill and terror of the night, and the little baby Jesus was born.
My prayer for you, as we move from Advent to Christmas to the New Year, is that God will make a way for you; that with God’s help you will find safe shelter from darkness and fear. I pray for you to move closer into God’s heart, and for you to welcome and embrace the Holy Family when they come to your door.
Merry Christmas!
Andy