It’s the second Sunday in Advent, and I’ve had carols playing nonstop. Until these words stopped me in my tracks: 

“Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices…”  

It’s so easy to view the Christmas story like a Nativity scene, with perfectly poised characters who play their roles for the season, then get tucked away in a box until next December. 

Except Jesus wasn’t just a cute cooing baby, swaddled and swooned over. His birth was the fulfillment of countless prophecies, given over centuries as stand-in hope to a dark and desperate world, longing for a Light to illuminate their identity. Emanuel—God made flesh—was born a tangible incarnation of the One whose imagine I am made in, and the only One who gives me an unshakeable reason for existing. My living Hope. Speranza.

There are times when I forget the significance of Christmas; times when I’ve packed Jesus into a box with the ornaments and stored Him away. At first, life goes on unchanged, but slowly the spiraling thoughts creep in: Fear over my health and my future, feelings of unworthiness and failure, the need to prove my status, capability and purpose, and a quest to control all of the unknown. I snap into problem-solving mode; trying to carry my burdens with weary, fragile limbs, like a Christmas tree sagging under the weight of too much tinsel and trim. And in this proving and striving, my worth has been buried under a pile of Christmas boxes. 

“O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining…For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

Just like the Wise Men were drawn to the Star of Bethlehem—the Light of life—I continually get to make the choice to keep my gaze locked on the Son, my true North. And in doing so, I watch, as my weary branches are gently liberated; once again able to reach toward the crowning Star. 

This Christmas season and always, let’s not forget that, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world… Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—” ‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬, ‭12‬ ‭

For far too long, I let my identity and worth be found in my accomplishments, my looks and in other peoples’ opinion of me. But all of these things can be stripped away in an instant. When everything in my life seemed lost, One thing remained—the only One who mattered. The only One who gives my life its worth. The greatest Gift ever given, and that I can ever receive. 

“O night when Christ was born…” 🎄🎁❤️