Christmas in November

The birth of a child can be compared to nothing else in this world. The anticipation at times can be overwhelming. For nine months parents go through a gauntlet of emotions, thoughts and feelings. Who will the baby look like, what will we name him or her, how are we going to decorate the nursery, will the baby be healthy, will the baby come on time and what are we going to be like as parents. Twice in my life I have been blessed to anticipate the birth of a child and both times things didn't happen like I had expected them to. Jaden had to be born by c-section and since we didn't find out that Elijah was going to be a boy until the day he was born it was a 50-50 shot. Surrounded by all of that anticipation we were comforted to know that God had everything in control and there was really nothing to worry about.
Nine months is a long time to wait for something truly exciting to happen. I can't imagine what it would be like to wait for something with no end in sight. 25 days from now we will celebrate the most anticipated birth ever, and many people had to wait far longer than nine months. In Isaiah we read

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Is. 9:6

How great the anticipation and excitement must have been in Isreal, and this announcement was given long before this baby was to arrive. The Messiah, or Savior of the world, was coming and Isaiah was one of the first ones to announce it a century or so before it came to pass.

As we go about this December getting ready for Christmas it is my prayer that we don't forget the much anticipated arrival of the King. Far greater than the arrival of my own children is the arrival of the one who would take away my sins thus allowing me to call him Father. This Christmas may we join Simeon in saying "For my eyes have seen Your salvation"