Some reflections on Christmas after my trip to Israel

As I write this I am just coming out of the fog of jet lag and an Israeli cold that I got on my first ever trip to Israel. This was a trip that I am sure I will be unpacking for quite some time, but I thought I would take a stab at some reflections on Christmas since we traveled so close to the holiday.

The location of our hotel on the trip was very close to Bethlehem. Out of our window you could see the wall that separated Jerusalem from the Palestinian area of Bethlehem. The bus stop outside of our hotel was called, “Bethlehem Check Point.” It was a constant reminder of the traumatic experiences that region has experienced for centuries. I imagine Mary and Joseph had similar thoughts as they saw Roman soldiers on their way to Bethlehem. Your Christmas this year may feel raw and messy, but that is okay. The first Christmas would not have felt anymore like a Hallmark movie than yours does.

Before we left we watched a kids Christmas movie called the Star. It really highlighted the messiness of the first Christmas. Talking animals trying to figure out what is going on when things felt chaotic and dangerous. Most nights of the trip my wife, daughter and I each tried to come up with two take aways from the day. On one night my daughters had one of her take aways was that we as a family needed to learn to trust God more in the day to day experiences of life. She was so right. The same would have been true of the story on that first Christmas. It was a journey of trust in a world that did not make sense.

Traveling on this trip with my wife and daughter makes me appreciate in a small way what Joseph may have felt on his journey to Bethlehem. As we travelled I was aware of the needs of my little family and the challenges of being in a new surrounding. I read someone talk about how it was interesting that the angel did not speak to Joseph about Mary’s situation until after Mary had talked to him. We like nice and neat where as God is okay with our journey as we learn to trust Him.

So as I look to Christmas this year, I will try and walk with God in a new level of trust. I still like five year plans, but I will try to trust God when He simply says take the next step with me. I will try and remember those rolling hills of Bethlehem and know that it is not always about nice and neat, but about the presence of God coming to our messy and chaotic world.

What Would You Ask For This Christmas?

Christmas is a season filled with every kind of emotion. It contains some of the greatest highlights of the year, while there are those who find it bothersome, a lot of work, and even discouraging.

Jesus came to share God’s gifts of love, joy, hope, peace, and good news. We celebrate and have incredibly happy moments with family and friends. But there are times when all we feel are the burdens, worries, and stresses of the season.

One of the craziest elements about Christmas is presents. Gift giving can be extreme stressful, even though it is often born out of love. “What will we get them? How much should we spend? Which style should I wrap it in? Will they even like?” I wonder how much the Wise Men worried over the gifts they brought to the newborn King.

It can also be hard to receive gifts. To make things easier, we prefer to ask for certain things. It’s better to nudge towards something we’d really enjoy than be ungrateful for the gift from a friend or loved one. What if we took the time to ask God for gifts in our lives?

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What does Christmas really mean to you?

(From Kevin-I wanted to pass along to you today a great thought from my wife Jennie as we are 2 weeks from Christmas. Hope you enjoy)

What does this season mean to you? I know the right answer…Jesus. But the truth is, you see what is important to you when you look through you calendar and bank account.

When you look close into your finances you will see what is important to you and your family. Every year I tell my daughter Christmas is about giving and then you look at your checkbook (or for me my Amazon account) it is a hard truth to see. It is not always pretty or fun to look at where you are really spending you money. If you had to share your bank account with a friend, would you be proud of what is in black and white? For me I think of my missionary friends who sacrifice so much would I be ashamed of my spending.

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