Cliche title, and perhaps a cliche post to follow. The Christmas season is here, and nearly over. As I've been perusing facebook during the short breaks between Christmas feast feedings, I've noticed that there seems to be a lot of variance in people's Christmas experiences.
It can be easy to think that the way that My family and I do Christmas is the way it is for everybody. I'm reminded this season though, that there are many people who are celebrating the season with someone missing from their lives. Whether this is a recent development or has been an aching emptiness for a while, it would seem to me that it wouldn't get much easier, even with some time.
Cass and I celebrated Christmas our own Christmas together a few days ago, and it's something that we still have some freedom to decide. This new year will bring with it more changes in our lives. We're having a baby. That's crazy! There is a life growing inside Cass that is going to be joining us in the world of air, and breathing, and stress, and pain. Spur of the moment is probably going to start feeling like spur of the hour. Things that can be decided seemingly easily now, will take a bit more consideration, and we won't be able to just do spontaneous things as easily.
I am super excited about being a Dad though. I can't wait to play with my kids, and make awesome memories with them. The thing about family is that, we all know the things about our families that drive us crazy. I remember having to live with my 3 annoying brothers. We would play together, and often it would end in verbal violence and outbursts of anger, possibly holes in walls. The truth is though, I know that I can count on my brothers. My family is always there for me if I need a helping hand. And I'm glad to be able to help my family, when they need me to. My parents taught us that no matter what happens, family is for good.
Not every family is perfect. I'm pretty sure that no family is. But maybe it's ok that our families aren't perfect. If they were, would we realize our need to be adopted into God's family? That's the perfect family. Jesus as a brother, sounds pretty crazy. I wonder if he fought with his earthly brothers? I wonder if his brothers even wanted to fight with him, if he was loving all the time? What do you think Jesus was like as a kid? Sorry, there really is no conclusion to this post, just random thoughts. I love my family, and I wonder what Jesus family was like when he was growing up? Do you think he or his brothers knew that he was different? He was the oldest in the family. I wonder if his example encouraged, or annoyed his siblings? What do you think?
