What are you waiting for?

That hush that travels around the world….

Most Christians and non Christians acknowledge that on Christmas Eve something wonderful happens around the world.  The whirlwind that is life suspends for just a night and a hush descends on humanity.  There’s that quiet pause as some reflect the blessings in their life and others reflect that true blessing, the man who gave his life for us to enjoy this time together!

The anticipation starts to build at 5pm as most feel technically the shopping if finally done and we can start focusing on the true meaning of the holiday, being with our friends and family.  We come home after that last frantic trip to the mall, we got to the point that if we didn’t have it, it wasn’t happening.  Focus turns from the material part of the holiday to those things that are special and don’t have any price tag attached to them.

Sitting at the table, listening to each child list out their blessings, marveling at how one looks like a passed on parent, how another looks like his father.  Wondering where they will end up in life as they sit and joke, wondering who will be their soul mate and hoping they will find the right person.

Watching those cheesy Christmas movies as a family, sure we all know the Heatmeiser/ColdMeiser songs and have seeen Charlie Brown Christmas TOO many times but in the eyes of a child it’s special, it’s not just a movie but it’s time where parents have chosen to sit on the couch and hold them, to discuss the movie to spend time with them as we discuss the last letters to Santa.

 Waiting for them to fall asleep, remembering the anticipation of being a child, of looking out the window for Rudolph’s nose, of leaving out the milk and cookies.  Feeling joy at their quiet anticipation, just feeling their energy and wishing for a moment, just one second in time that it wouldn’t end.  Talking with a glass of wine until we were sure they were asleep, then sneaking around the house, the happy little elves that we are.

That hush is God’s way of telling you to see the blessings around you, move past all the material aspects of the holidays and when you slow down to look, you see so much more than what’s in the commercials, that’s been there all year long but Christmas is that gentle reminder to stop and SEE.  See the love, the innocence, the joy, the peace, the anticipation and then think about that night oh so long ago.  They felt the same that we did in a different sense, they were about to change the world.  We may not be changing the world, but one small change in our attitude can make a world of difference. 

Christmas Eve in 1914, the Germans and the Americans called a truce for a night, they exchanged stories, souveniers, songs and felt the true spirit of Christmas, even if it was for just one night!  Slow down, make a difference and look, really look as we wait in quiet anticipation for the coming of our Lord!