When I picture in my mind this turn from Advent to Christmas, it looks like a stream of water becoming larger and faster until it pours itself out into a big, beautiful sea.
And, I do think it is like that. But, it is also like sitting next to a friend at the Christmas Eve church service. It is getting up and making the traditional Christmas morning cinnamon rolls. It is heading to the kitchen to prepare the turkey or ham or (in our case) the Beef Bourguignon soup. It is cleaning up the mess of wrapping paper. It is a big sandwich made with leftover everything and eaten in front of the fire.
In other words, Christmas is both extraordinary (like frosty starlight and Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”) and beautifully ordinary (meals cooked and shared, phone calls made and received).
We all know this. We have all lived this. We have seen Christmas come and go, again and again. But I mention it because it is so easy, with the waiting and the longing, to forget that what we have been waiting for is mostly already with us. Not entirely, no, but more and more every year Christ is with us and his kingdom is more fully realized.
Perhaps, what we have been waiting for is not more of Jesus, necessarily, but eyes that are open more widely to the fact that he is always and already with us – in so many seemingly ordinary ways.
And so I wish you an ordinary Christmas. A Christmas of friendship and special food and thoughtful gifts. A Christmas of candlelight and carols and maybe a hand to hold or, if not that, a very good book.
I wish you a Merry Christmas.
Oh Christie – Your words brought tears to my eyes. I love your word pictures. I love your wisdom. “Christmas is both extraordinary and ordinary”. “But eyes more open to the fact that he is always and already with us”. And your wish, “an ordinary Christmas”.
I love love love it all. May I post it too on Echoes?
Back to you my friend – an ordinary and extraordinary Christmas. love, sue
Merry, merry Christmas, Sue! Absolutely, feel free to share. Much love.
Forgot to check asking to see follow up comments. Sue
“It is also like sitting next to a friend” . . . wonderful summary of Advent moving into Christmas. Also of the double meaning of Advent. We wait for the beginning of the news of the Gospel “for unto us a child is born.” We wait for him who began a good work to return having completed his great work. But when he returns we will know also that he has been with us through everything. Yes we wait and discover a friend who has been with us always. Yet we wait is truly a great part of it all.
I love this. So simple and true. Here’s the place where my chest and eyes both welled up: “and maybe a hand to hold or, if not that, a very good book.”
Or, if we’re fortunate, both.
Happy Christmas to you, friend.
Thanks for all this loveliness this past month, Christie. And may your day be blessedly ordinary tomorrow – and blessedly outstanding, too!
So beautiful, both extraordinary and ordinary. I am truly enjoying your blog!
What a beautiful piece of writing, one that spoke to me even though I’ve felt “holiday-ed out” lately. (-:
Thank you, Em. Merry Christmas to you and yours!