The Season of Sacrifice

Many of us are ready for 2020 to be over. Some of us have made the ultimate sacrifice: Losing family members to Covid.

Others, are complaining that their families will not be able to join them for a traditional Christmas.

Some of us, are grumbling because we will be alone on Christmas and cannot go into restaurants and celebrate with our friends with our favorite yuletide cocktail!!  I for one am nostalgic for those days.

Something hit me when I was complaining to one of my friends. Let’s think about the principals in all of this.

Joseph. Imagine what he thought when the angel came to him. “DUDE, You want me to marry Mary when she is caring another’s child?? I ‘m not even the baby daddy.“ Especially during the time that Joseph lived, he made a sacrifice to risk his reputation and possibly his livelihood because the angel asked him to. Now that is a sacrifice.

Mary. Imagine her anxiety when the Holy Spirit came to her and said “I am going to move over you and you will Carry the son of God.“  Imagine HER conundrum. “That’s a big compliment and all, but CAN’T you find another unassuming 14-year-old girl that would do this for you.There are a lot of girls my aged down at the Nazareth bazaar that would be much better .“ Talk about pressure. Talk about BABY on board!! To be carrying the leader of all nations, the great “I AM.” Don’t you know she was terrified to bump into something that could jeopardize the prince of peace? And that doesn’t even begin to go into her sacrifice. She had to sacrifice her normal life for an extraordinary one. She knew that she could be stoned to death because she had conceived a child out of wedlock. She sacrificed a NORMAL life and the fear of death.

Jesus. He just looked down upon the people and said, “now wait just one minute. I have a cushy gig sitting on your right hand. You want me too sacrifice my life  for these ungrateful  ,unkind humans? Many don’t even love their neighbors!” 

God looked at his only begotten son and said “ Ah, I am sacrificing my only child.“

I am sure God put this thought  into my head so I wouldn’t pity my status this year. And when we look around and think we’ve done a good thing just remember OUR  sacrifice can’t even touch their sacrifice.

Sorry to be so reflective. I wish you all a HAPPY and HEALTHY  holiday.   Merry Christmas Xoxo