She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly
in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no
lodging available for them. Luke 2:7 (NLT)
As a teenager, each year I get older, Christmas seems less and less exciting.
All the hype going around about presents, sales, and Santa just
gets replayed each year. On Christmas morning, I walk over to the
tree with my family and we open our presents and take pictures.
Back when I was younger, Christmas was bigger than my birthday.
Every present I opened would be something new that I never thought
that I’d receive. But now, all you seem to get are books, journals, and
maybe a few clothing items. We grumble about Christmas’ past and
how we should’ve gotten the latest game instead of the knitted
sweater.
But if you think about it, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was
“laid…in a manger.” Christ didn’t have a nice comfy bed to sleep in
under the roof of a comfortable house. He was in a space filled with
animals. He was “wrapped…snugly in strips of cloth.” He didn’t
have a cute baby onesie or knitted booties. Yet we have a comfortable
roof over our heads with A/C, and varieties of clothes to wear.
Shouldn’t we be grateful?
Prayer
Lord, help us to remember Jesus’ environment the next time
we grumble over petty things. Amen.
Christian Writers Group of San Antonio 