Friend,
I am wondering when you lost your wonder.
And once it is lost, it is a hard thing to pick back up again.
A wonder-less Christmas is hard to enjoy because Christmas thrives on wonder:
The sparkling array of Christmas lights.
The gorgeous and classic songs of the season.
Santa, Elves, Flying Reindeer!
God becoming a man.
The problem is that wonder tends to lose its potency when it loses its novelty.
Unless…
We look again.
This year, we have an elf on the shelf named Nick Sparkle who moves each night in our house. Each morning, our son wakes up with wonder about where Nick is. Now here is the thing: Nick looks the same. His facial expression does not change, only his setting changes night by night.
And maybe that’s what you need to remember this Christmas. Your setting has changed. This year is not last year. So much is different, and that provides a lot of novelty because you’ve heard “Silent Night,” but you’ve never heard it where you are today. You’ve read the Christmas story, but you’ve never read it in 2023.
So today, when you hear the music, see the lights, and hear the story. Hear it anew. Because even while it may not have changed, you certainly have, and I can only wonder what God will say to you.
Love,
Aaron
P.S. Have a prayer request. You can send it to Aaron here.