Chaotic Christmas Eve?

My very favorite Christmas song is O Holy Night. Maybe because it was the first Christmas song that I learned to play on the piano, or maybe it's just everyone's favorite Christmas song.  Regardless, this is just one song that gets me every time. 

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world, in sin and error pining,
'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night- when Christ was born.

Ah - I just love it.  

Another favorite is Silent Night. 

Silent night, Holy night.
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant, so tender and mild.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Sleep in heavenly peace. 

Christmas songs are just so great, aren't they?  I'm not one of those that likes to start playing them at Halloween, but once Thanksgiving is over, you'll find non-stop Christmas music playing in my car. 

This week, my mom took the girls and me to the movies to see The Star.  It was SUCH a cute movie and if you have kids and are trying to figure out what to do with them over the Christmas break, seeing this movie is a great idea!  It is a movie (loosely) about Jesus birth, but the focus is more from the animals point of view.  I do really recommend it.  As in any kids movie, or just movies in general, there is good and evil, conflict, a hero and a big, dramatic climax near the end of the movie, which of course is when Jesus is born.  

It was really a neat perspective.  Obviously most of the movie was fictional but it really makes you think about things from another viewpoint.  Both O Holy Night and Silent Night sing about Jesus' birth.  They make it seem so calm, peaceful, and quiet when Jesus came into the world.  Realistically, do you think that's what happened?  

Maybe it is. But in my mind, I can see Joseph running around thinking "Is this really where my wife is going to give birth? Here, God?".  There were animals probably wondering what in the world was going on.  Regardless of how Mary labored, this was likely not a serene and perfect place for a baby to be born into.  Realistically, it was probably a loud and chaotic scene. And THIS is where and how God chose to bring the Savior into the world.  It didn't have to be this way, but it was exactly as God planned. In the middle of all of that chaos came Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.

To me, that's pretty encouraging. I don't know about you, but life is most often chaotic, crazy and loud.  We have a 3 year old and a 6 year old.  Enough said, right?  Quiet is not something we experience often.  Most of the time we're running around trying to find gymnastics leotards or library books.  We're trying to make sure that we remembered to load lunch money on the school account, and that we've RSVP'd to birthday invitations.  We're throwing together dinner as quickly as we can, before we have to run out the door to somewhere else.  This is just the season of life that we're in.  It's chaotic.  But guess what?  Right in the middle of all of that chaos is Jesus.  

Jesus came to be God with us.  He lived and walked among us 2000+ years ago, and after his life, death, and resurrection, He left the Holy Spirit to live inside of those who choose to trust and follow Him. 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.  The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him.  But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
John 14:16-17  

So, if you are like me and your season of life is chaotic and crazy, be encouraged that if you want Him, God can be right there with you.  He is STILL God with us.  And sometimes the very best things in all of the world can come from right in the middle of that chaos. Thank you God, for Jesus.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas Eve!