A Million Times Blessed

It seems to me that life is not just a blessing, or a series of blessings, but really layer upon layer of blessings.

For instance, the immediate, obvious blessing of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. That's undisputable. But because of Christ's birth, we now have Christmas, which means time off work (blessing), family gatherings (blessing), the joy of giving to others (blessing), and receiving gifts from those in our families as signs of their love for us (blessing).

For me, the greatest blessing of all in this season, besides Jesus who is its reason, is simply the time we get to spend with our families. More than gifts or money or bustle or that chill in the air, family is at the very heart of Christmas. Even looking back to the first Christmas, Mary honored God by receiving her Son with thanksgiving and Joseph honored his beloved wife-to-be by standing beside her and believing in her. It would have been easy for both of them to attempt to do other, but instead, they acted out of obedience and love.

I love my family. We have our share of arguments and dysfunction, but we love each other. Fundamentally, love is the defining characteristic of all families, even and especially the Christian family, known as the Church. My own family has only strengthened my understanding of Christian family and community, but I often wonder if people from very broken families are able to comprehend the true joy of being brothers and sisters in Christ. It saddens me to think that they are not, so instead I hope that God has given them a special enablement to understand Christian family apart from earthly family.

Christmas, like most holidays, draws us temporarily out of our busy-ness, the hustle and bustle of day after day. It forces us, better or worse, to be with our families. There's a difference between being with our families and being with our families, if you know what I mean. The goal is not just to sit in the corner, sullenly text messaging your friends. The holidays are an opportunity to slow down and actually be present in the moment, be grateful for the beautiful gift of family.

Many spend the holidays alone, sad, having given up love and family for the approval of a pretty desk and a corner office. Others may have no choice in the matter, finding themselves without family for many reasons beyond their control. But I, oh, I have the opportunity, the pleasure, of spending my holidays with a myriad of relatives young and old; and for that alone, aside from the time off work or any gifts I received, I count myself a million times blessed.