"And it came to pass in those days..."

    Such familiar words...the beginning of the greatest story ever told...the words that draw listeners in, to hear of Christ's miraculous birth in a tiny town called Bethlehem...I love imagining what that night might have been like! A dark sky, sprinkled with twinkling stars...balmy breeze drifting across the hills...shepherds relaxing after a long day...sheep bleating contentedly...and a young girl who was experiencing the birth of her first child - a King! The nativity story truly is an incredible tale.
    But now skip ahead a couple thousand years ~ think of what comes to pass in these days. During the time when we celebrate Jesus' birth, rather than being about Him, rather than showing Him the humble worship those poor shepherds did so long ago, we see Santa! And presents! And shopping! Flashing lights replace the glow of angels, Rudolph playing on the radio breaks the serene peace of that silent night, and in the crazy frenzy of preparing for Christmas, the little baby King is forgotten.
    Today I spent some time going around the house, taking pictures of the signs of Christmas. I have always loved the warm brilliance of Christmas decorations, but I particularly enjoy them at our house. We don't have a lot of bright colored, "look-at-me!" ornaments and decor, but in each room is a little reminder of the season. A lit garland hanging around a window frame..

A chain of prayer requests - a countdown til Christmas...

Gold ornaments...reminders of the gold that was given to the Holy Child..

And the little accents that grace tables and shelves....

I ended my photo tour at the nativity scene. I took pictures of the stable of course, with Mary and Joseph and Jesus, and even the wise men (across the room, on their long journey), but the character that stood out to me was a young shepherd, carrying a lamb. He isn't dressed in rich garments like the kings, he doesn't bear fine gifts worthy of the royalty he has come to see, and yet he's there. A poor, lowly shepherd has come to give the humble adoration he can offer, to see the beautiful baby boy who has come to save the world. But his story doesn't end there....the shepherds' worship doesn't end at the Nativity. Rather, as described in Luke 2, "the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen..." 

In this exciting and eye-catching holiday, my prayer is that I will be like the shepherd. Not only do I wish to grasp the true depth of meaning involved in Christmas, but I hope to retain the wonder of this glorious event all year round - offering lowly worship to the holy King. Merry Christmas!