The First Noel

"The first Noel, the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay."

Jeremiah rubbed his eyes sleepily, unsure of what had awakened him. He glanced over at his father's sheep grazing nearby. They seemed fine. But he heard a murmur coming from behind him. He turned, then shielded his eyes from the sun to see three older shepherds pointing frantically.

Then the absurdity of what he was doing struck him. Shielding his eyes from the sun. Jeremiah had seen the sun set before he nodded off. He turned frantically towards the light he had been blocking. It wasn't harsh or blinding. It was a beautiful, brilliant star.

Now Jeremiah had spent his life it seemed in this fields. Dozing through the evening while the sheep grazed, before heading home. He had seen bright full moons and star-filled nights. But he had never seen anything like this. He had never seen a star so bright. A star that seemed so close. A star that seemed to call to his soul and beckon him to come to it.

He sat with the other shepherds that night and watched that star. The sheep were calm, more peaceful than usual. He and the shepherds watched others walk by, men answering the call of the star and intent to find its origin. Jeremiah knew like these men new that something spectacular was occurring. And he hoped that the feelings of hope and awe and humility and camaraderie would never leave.

have yourself a merry little christmas

"Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow. But 'til then we'll have to muddle through somehow."

Rose wasn't sure how long she had been sitting in the car. It had probably been a while, judging the amount of snow that had accumulated on the windshield. It was that obstruction to her view that finally drew her out of her daze. Here she was. Home for Christmas for the first time in four years.

And amazingly the house looked the same. Too many lights outside. The same single reindeer lit up in the front yard. A tall tree showcased through the front windows. A big wreath with a bright red bow on the front door. The same as the last time she was here. The same as every Christmas she could remember. The sight of it had been so overwhelming that she had paused after parking her car to take it all in.

Rose could imagine her mother and big sisters in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Her brothers watching football. Her dad pretending to help out by cleaning up, but really just watching football. But she knew it wouldn't really be the same. Her eldest sister Lily was married now, and had a two-year old son. Her other sister Violet had just been laid off. Her big brother Jeremy was engaged and her little brother James was a junior in college. She had missed their lives, and they wouldn't be the same as this house. There were new faces in there, new dynamics she wasn't a part of.

Rose stared in disbelief. How could she have been so stupid, so wrong for four years. All those times that she had volunteered to work Christmas at the hospital so that the people with families could go home. She had sacrificed for colleagues' families but never for her own. Rose became even more ashamed thinking of how her attendee had practically forced her to go home.

Here she was. Home for Christmas for the first time in four years. She was joyful. She was in need of the break. She longed to reconnect with her family. And she was afraid of the unknowns that waited inside. But mostly she was tired of being lonely and was ready to get out of that car.

12 Days of Christmas

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

Love. When you ask most people, its what the season is about. An inspiring, joyful love that swells the heart, warms the spirit, and soothes the soul. A love that is endless. And a real love, not an effortless adoration or a fleeting obsession. A lasting, arduous relationship. A relationship that is challenged by its very intensity. That is as full of trials as it is triumph. But the kind of love you can't imagine your life without. The love that radiates from the laughter of children, the doting eyes of a parent, the touch of a lover's hand. The love that swept this world with such amazing grace.

Giving. Its what the season has come to be. Its what we expect of others. And I am the first to admit that giving is a large part of Christmas. But its not about giving expensive gifts. Its about the gift of self. Taking the time to think of the people you love. Sacrificing the money and energy you would have spent on yourself to brighten someone else's day. Taking the time to send a card to a long-lost friend, to lovingly wrap a gift, or to make a grand meal.

Today starts the twelve days of Christmas. Twelve days which I will reflect on what Christmas is, what I want it to be, what it should be. I hope you do the same.