And I have read for the past 6 mornings, and I have pondered the story with its shepherds and angels and the baby in the manger, and it has been good to do so. It is so easy to just pass this off as some Christmas tradition and not stop to really think and be thankful for God's provision.
But, if I am honest, a lot of the days have ended up in the remembering of Christmas memories. After all, I have spent a bunch of December 25ths on this planet, and there are several things that have come to mind.
One picture that my minds sees is that of citrus fruit. Oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and even kumquats.
I guess a lot of that stemmed from being in the produce business for 25 years or so. It was a big season for us then. I remember going out and getting orders from customers for their needs in this season of year. Grocery stores would look back at what sold the year before and try to anticipate what the public would do in the current year.
Needs would be forecast to keep the shelves stocked, and these forecasts would be formed into truck loads for future delivery. Transportation would be secured for each load and brought to market at the desired time.
It was a busy time and there was always the stress of making sure that the whole enterprise happened as planned. Most of these items came out of Florida, and, even though the trip wouldn't take more than two days from pick to delivery, things happened.
Trucks failed to show to pick up. Trucks broke down in route. Wrong quantities were loaded and sometimes orders showed up at the wrong warehouse. There were many opportunities for error.
Regardless of the type of error, wrong stuff, wrong amounts, wrong day of delivery, missing trucks or what, these all ended up on the desk of the broker who had put it all together. That was us.
Even if it all eventually worked out and all the loads got into the correct warehouses, sometimes the forecasts by the buyers did not match the wants of the eventual customers in the stores. Then we would try to find out who had extra of this and that, and match it with who needed what.
Although this was a month long process, it did not end until a couple of days before Christmas. We scurried practically until we closed on Christmas Eve.
As I lived through all of this, I often thought about the fact that the busyness of the business kept us all from getting into and keeping the true meaning of the Day. I looked forward to the period when I could actually spend time thinking of the whole Christmas Story and its meaning in my life.
I thought, "when that time comes, I will really be worshipful without the stress of citrus fruit and customers and truckers in my life".
That time came, and I still struggle to keep Christ in Christmas. My mind and heart seem ready, but life still happens, and I am easily distracted. Even the memories that surface while I sit here in the quiet take me away from my purpose.
So I reread the Luke account again and again, and I will hopefully be here tomorrow to read it anew, and I will pray that God will break into my thoughts and lead me to the place of worship again.
The Christmas Story is a life-changer, and that is what I want to celebrate this year.
"Come O Come Emmanuel"
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