Philippians 2:6-11
by Marty H.
Am I ready? The big day is almost here. Have I adequately cleaned the house, purchased the presents, prepped the dinner, and spruced up the spare bedroom for Grammy to stay in tonight? Have I hung enough ornaments on the tree, placed candles and ribbons in all the windows, and readied carrots and celery for Rudolph and the gang? I did manage to pick up the dry cleaning – we have to look our very best for church tonight, don’t we? I bought the coconut cakes from Ukrop’s Bakery and have already soaked the country ham in apple cider. I am as prepared as I can possibly be.
So why is my chest tight? Why do I feel like maybe I have forgotten something really important? For despite all my planning, all the money and time and energy I have spent getting ready for Christmas, there is still an element of surprise at play here; still something beyond my grasp, beyond my ability to be in control of the situation.
After all the shopping, all of the gift wrapping, all of the parties and socials, cookie sharing and well-wishing have ceased, the night is silent. Hushed with the quiet expectation that we are about to witness something terrifyingly magnificent, we wait. We wait for the most wonderful of exclamations: Christ the Savior is born!
Matthew Straw