The real joy of Christmas
Every other year, one half of my family gets together for an early Christmas celebration. We have beautiful Christmas lights, delicious food, fun games, and of course, lots of conversation and connection. It’s that connection—so beautifully epitomized by the first Christmas in the gathering of shepherds, wise men, animals, and a sweet baby—that I really love.
But one year, as we started the long drive up to the celebration, I didn’t feel well. The drive progressed, but I didn’t. The way this was looking, I wasn’t going to be able to spend much time connecting with anyone. Along with not feeling great, I had a sort of foggy feeling that made it hard to think clearly. This was especially troubling because I wanted to be able to think clearly enough to pray for myself.
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The way this was looking, I wasn’t going to be able to spend much time connecting with anyone that Christmas.
Something I really appreciate about prayer is that no matter what your prayer looks like, it always reorients you toward God, and that’s how healing happens. Christ Jesus, whose birth we were going to celebrate during this Christmas visit, taught us all how to pray when he gave us the Lord’s Prayer, and I love how the prayer starts with identifying God as our Father. Our Father remains our Father no matter what situation we may be in. That’s a strong and inspiring fact we can lean on.
But at that moment, I felt I couldn’t think very much about my Father. As I was becoming sadder about this, I got very quiet. And a very comforting idea came to me: Just be grateful for God.
I latched on to this idea, loving its tenderness and simplicity. I also appreciated that it wasn’t complicated; it was a reminder that I could just love God. After all, He certainly loves me! And I remembered that the Bible tells us, “We love him, because he first loved us” (I John 4:19). To love God, to give gratitude for God, is to participate in and express His love.
I was able to stop worrying about what this Christmas visit might be like. Instead, I stayed in the moment, just thinking about the nature of God.
I was able to stop worrying about what this Christmas visit might be like if I remained unwell. Instead, I stayed in the moment, just thinking about the nature of God. As I was being grateful for things I know about God—that He’s good, how much He loves us all, how clear His communication is—I also started to see that whatever is true about God must also be true about me. This made sense to me because God’s nature as the only creator means that all creation must express Him.
I love the way Mary Baker Eddy, the woman who discovered the Science behind Jesus’ teachings and healings, puts it: “Soul, or Spirit, is God, unchangeable and eternal; and man coexists with and reflects Soul, God, for man is God’s image” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 120). Gratitude for God was showing me more clearly what God is—and by extension, who and what I am.
The drive and the day were winding down, and I was feeling such a sweet assurance that all was well. God is good, and His creation naturally reflects that goodness. Just as Jesus was welcomed by humble and attentive parents, shepherds, and wise men, I was welcoming in this Christly, healing idea that I could be grateful for the good work God has already done in creating me unfailingly healthy. And I could see how the healing had never been about me; God’s work was simply revealed in a fresh way as I looked to God and loved God.
By the time we reached our destination, I was healed and enjoyed a delightful visit with family. And the connection I so valued with my family members was a true gift—a wonderful way to cherish my own, and everyone’s, forever oneness with God.
As I learned that Christmas, it’s such a joy just to love God!