Tonight I heard Joseph Bonsall read his story of An Inconvenient Christmas. Have you ever had an inconvenient Christmas? Actually, I suppose the question should be have you ever had a convenient Christmas?
The Christmas my parents forgot to bring my presents to Grandma's house was certainly an inconvenient Christmas. For a ten-year-old, how could it be Christmas without any presents?
The Christmas Eve of 1963, we were traveling to my parents in Michigan from our home in Indiana. Matt was 4 and Mellyn was two. I was great with child; the baby was due in May. Our car broke down and we were stranded about 60 miles from my parents' home. The gas station owner explained he was late for a family dinner and he needed to close up the station. He kindly left the women's restroom open. Even though it was crowded with all of us huddled in there waiting for Grandpa to come, at least it was heated. That Christmas was very inconvenient. We were cold and hungry by the time we got to my parents' home. Christmas definitely did not proceed on schedule.
Christmas eve of 1965, I was sitting in the Lazyboy chair with Glen kneeling beside me, holding my hand. I heard three-year-old Mellyn whisper to five-year-old Matt, "The babies are coming!" She was right. The babies were coming several weeks early. I managed to stay at the house long enough for my mom and dad to arrive from Michigan. I gave my mother instructions about Christmas dinner and where some of the kids' toys were hidden, to be wrapped after they went to sleep.
Then Glen and I left for the hospital. The timing was certainly inconvenient, but once I got to the hospital I was greeted by those who were prepared to help me deliver my babies. Nathan and Ethan arrived around 3:00 am Christmas morning.
Perhaps we could conclude that the first Christmas was the most inconvenient. Mary certainly didn't plan to become pregnant. Joseph didn't plan to marry a woman who was already pregnant. Neither Mary nor Joseph planned that the baby would be born so far from home, let alone in a stable. For the shepherds, a trip to Bethlehem was not on their schedule for that night.
How about now? Is this an inconvenient Christmas for you? Do you still have so much to do to get ready? Are you wishing you had just a few more days? Would Christmas be more convenient if you could postpone it for a while?
Ah, but the Scriptures say, "In the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son...." The time was just right for God to send His Son into our world. Let's strip away all of the trappings of Christmas and make sure we are ready to welcome Christ into our busy lives. Let's make this a convenient Christmas.
MWH
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