Eve Eve (12/23/2024)

For most of us living in an impatient modern world, we start our celebrations of Christmas early – on Christmas Eve. So today, the eve of the eve, is a busy day in most households. I know it is in mine. What will we make of this day, perhaps our final day of preparations before we launch our celebrations?

Will we use it only for preparations for our physical and worldly celebration or will we use it to finalize our Advent journey of preparations, strengthening our faith, broadening our hope, deepening our love? Will we use it for shopping and decorating and wrapping and baking only? Or will we commit time to prayer and reflection of our journey of preparations and where it has brought us?

What will our gifts to the Christ child at the manger be this year? If Christ made a list of what He wants for Christmas, what would be on His list? True belief in Him? Love for the LORD and others lived daily? Promises of renewed efforts to grow in our prayer lives?

A wise person once told me the best way to identify a gift for another is to watch what he gives himself. Let us remember that He gave himself to us. On this eve of the eve, are we willing and able to offer ourselves to our King and LORD?

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.