Christmas is certainly different when you become an adult; and especially when you have kids! As Nathan pointed out, it's not so fun having to wrap all the presents up and put them under the tree. Then you clean-up the wrapping paper and start putting away all the decorations you pulled out...It's a lot more fun being "surprised" by the magic and wonder of it all.
Don't get me wrong; I love to give gifts, and look forward to Christmas day! I haven't slept a full night's sleep on Christmas Eve for 26 years.....this year I actually slept until 6:30 (with a few breaks) and then stayed awake in anticipation. :) Maybe my perspective has changed as I realize all the real effort that gets put into this special day. Or maybe adults just start to enjoy the whole Christmas season, instead of focusing on the gifts at the end.
I think the biggest thing that changes each year, as Christmas after Christmas flies by, is that I try to understand the true meaning of Christmas more. It's kind of hard sometimes, I have to admit. Most people know the story about Jesus being born, but it's hard to really see it as important or relate to it, unless you take time to ponder it. I think being pregnant has helped me to think about the reality of the situation that Mary and Joseph faced; they were real people who had a baby - NOT an easy task, no matter who you are!
It's kind of summed-up in the word Immanuel - God with us. That's also the name of one of my favorite Christmas songs, and I have been thinking about what it really means. Immanuel - God came from heaven down to earth. In the form of a human. A baby. Wow.....that's really a crazy sacrifice. Part of me wonders if he kind of understood what was going on the whole time, even though he was a baby. Did he wake-up and think, "All rightie, here it goes!" or "Wow, this world is crazy and I've only been here for a few minutes!" The Bible tells us that Jesus understood His mission in life (to die for our sins) and His true identity (God's son) at even an early age. Yet, he truly understood what it meant to be a human too; all 32 years of his life.
This brings me such hope and peace in my times of doubt and struggle. In times of great pain or even great joy, I can remember that Jesus understands what I'm going through. He can relate to the poor, the hungry, the happy, the sad, the desperate, the old and young, women and men - He has been there and gone through it all. What can we say or bring that He has not seen with his own eyes, and experienced with His own body and soul? Wasn't it an amazing way to relate to us and show us how God loves us?
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