It's the day after Christmas but...

Well. Christmas 2014 has officially passed. But guess what? I'm still in the Christmas mindset. Oops. It always makes me sad when people so quickly move away from this magical season. If we're gonna start building up to it in October we might as well enjoy it for at least the entire month of December, am I right?
Anyways, I have a confession. This year has not felt like christmas at all. The most un-christmasy I have felt in a long, long time...if not ever. I've tried so desperately to immerse myself in all things christmas but for some reason the dots just did not connect this year. Real talk, my life has felt so congested these past few months. Especially the past few weeks. November was just busy and full of changes.  December was stressful and dominated by all sorts of relationships. Every where I looked there seemed to be questions and it felt like I was expected to have all the answers. So yeah, this christmas was not filled with the usual obscene amount of christmas movies and christmas music playing 24/7...but still, reflecting on this christmas season, I can see the Lord's handprints sprinkled throughout it. That's one of the beautiful things about our God is it not? Even when we feel farthest and most out of touch, He is still there. He is always there. He never left. There were moments when I would be overwhelmed and, quite literally in a couple cases, brought to tears by the sheer beauty of the gift that our savior is.
The one resounding theme throughout my christmas season seemed to be "God is with us." This thought would just pop up in the middle of me thinking about my problems. It would be spoken by a youth pastor or in a song and would catch my attention. I fully believe that God himself was putting it in my path. He wants me to chew on the magnitude of the gift that is him giving us a Savior, a Fixer, that was and is with us. Who is among us. Who met us where we were in our brokenness and who continues to do so every single day. Our Emmanuel reaches down and scoops us into His loving arms. He never stops reaching for us. He always meets us where we are because he is with us. That is the gift that we wait for and find rest, peace, joy and celebration in each Christmas.
So in these wee hours of the morning after December 25th, 2014, I am still here. I am waiting here at my own personal manger. My own mess, my own brokenness...and I am waiting for the gift of my Fixer. I am waiting here, knees bent, arms reaching out, smiling because of the relentless hope and endless joy that my Emmanuel promises me not just yesterday, but today, tomorrow, and every single moment following.
I leave you with the lyrics of a classic christmas hymn, Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee. This past christmas season was the first time I have ever soaked in these lyrics. They brought me to tears. I pray them. I sang them to Jesus...and I will continue doing so as long as my heart aches for the same thing this song begs for.1 Joyful, joyful, we adore You,

God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before You,
Op'ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

All Your works with joy surround You,
Earth and heav'n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!

Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Loving Father, Christ our Brother,
Let Your light upon us shine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

 Mortals, join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
God's own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.