this is Christmas

It's December 22. There are only three days until Christmas 2011. And this isn't a secret, but somehow I feel the need to post about it. You see, Christmas always seems to sneak up on me. For months I can't wait for this magical season to arrive, and then suddenly it's here, and gone. I'm in a Christmas mood from October onward, but my cheerful spirit seems to wane just before the day itself. Right now, this couldn't be more true. Here it is, three days before Christmas, and I'm sick in bed. At the time of year when I should be stuffing myself with sweets, I haven't eaten anything since Tuesday. When I should be outside, enjoying the dusting of snow and filling myself with Christmas cheer, I'm inside, sleeping. But really, should I be complaining? No. No. No. Okay, I'm sick right before Christmas, but that totally pales in comparison to the true meaning of Christmas, and that can be pondered whether I'm in bed or not. I could (and should!) repeat it to myself every day of the year, the way Athanasius said it best: God became man so man could become like God. There are so many angles to the Christmas story, so many different ways to look at it. There was Mary, the young girl who risked becoming an outcast because of the child she bore. There was Joseph, the man who chose to believe his betrothed rather than condemn her. And there was the Messiah, God's Son who came to earth not as a conquering king or an invincible power, but as a vulnerable baby. This is Christmas, dear friends. Behind Santa, presents, food, and holiday rush, this is Christmas, and I'm discovering that being sick is a great opportunity to see it as such.


More holiday thoughts coming posthaste, as soon as I let my brain rest from finals. Also, isn't the new design gorgeous?!?!