Celebrating Christmas Bravely

By Becky Beresford

Celebrating Christmas Bravely

If you are anything like me, sometimes it’s hard to fully celebrate Christmas.

It’s not because Jesus doesn’t deserve our praise. He does.

It’s not because we’re ungrateful. We are.

But the holidays highlight an uncomfortable paradox. As our eyes gaze around at our family and friends, we see the combination of goodness and grief, and our conflicting emotions don’t know what to do. People are rejoicing this week, but they are also mourning. Both go hand-in-hand, side-by-side in our everyday lives. We may feel guilty for celebrating when those we care about are suffering deeply. Maybe we are the ones trying to numb our pain in order to appear more ‘merry’ and bright. But God hears our hearts. He sees the details of each person’s story and gives us permission to process through pain. No matter where we are, God delivers a promise that is sure to help us persevere – He promises us Himself.

One of the biggest miracles of Christmas is that when God sent His perfect Son to earth, He didn’t send Him into perfection. He sent Him to be present – to be with us. In the midst of heartache and loss, the holiness of heaven stepped foot on unholy ground. The Son of God entered into both beauty and brokenness, and it was a choice made by the Father. God told Mary to name her baby boy JESUS because “He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21). Ever since the Garden, humanity had fallen. Paradise with our Maker was lost. No matter how hard we tried, we could never earn our way back to Him. But God wanted us. He had already bestowed value on His creation and desired a real relationship with His children. He wanted to free us from the spiritual effects of sin and death, but He also wanted to give us abundant life. Right here. Right now. Right in the swirling mixture of goodness and grief.

So what does this have to do with bravery?

Everything.