All kidding aside though our Christmas Eve was spent on the phone with multiple doctors (my son has an unrelated infection), at the pharmacy, breaking the news to family members, dropping off gifts at back doors and waving through windows, and cancelling all our holiday plans. We decided to have steaks for our Christmas Eve dinner since we wouldn’t be spending the evening with family. These were nice steaks from Omaha Steak Company, sent to us as a present from Nate’s mom. And I burnt them to a crisp. (In my defense, I followed the instructions for cooking time EXACTLY as it said on the package. I even measured the thickness of the cuts and everything…)
The fire alarm went off. We flung open all the doors, turned on the fan and I walked around the house with a towel trying to blow the smoke outside while Elvis Presley sang “Blue Christmas” in the background. But as I served the blackened, charred, dried up pieces of meat, we couldn’t help laughing. Everything was going wrong. All our plans were ruined, our dinner was ruined, and yet we found joy in the midst of it. (Nate said he’s pretty sure Jesus was having a good laugh with us.)
Now don’t get me wrong, I had my moments of frustration and sadness. As I watched my sister drop off presents for my kiddos outside the kitchen window, I teared up knowing I wouldn’t be able to hug her, to share this special day with her and her family, my parents and grandparents, or my brother. While watching our church’s Christmas Eve service online, my heart longed to be there with my brothers and sisters worshiping the Lord together. And yet in the midst of it all, my pastor’s words rang loud and true in my ears: Jesus is speaking to each one of our hearts, saying, “I AM Christmas.”
It’s not about the gifts, though the gifts are heartfelt and sweet. It’s not about the food, because I burnt it to oblivion and my husband can’t taste it anyway. It’s not about the cookies, the lights, the tree or the stockings. It isn’t even about the plans we make with one another, though this year I will miss them deeply. It’s about the One who came to offer hope to mankind. And in the middle of our crazy COVID Christmas spectacular with all its disappointments, irritations and bittersweet sorrows, Christ has shone all the clearer.
COVID is the unforeseen gift we never would have asked for, but one I think we needed. It’s comforting to know that when the temporal things we look forward to are taken out of the picture, Christ is still enough. More than enough! He is Emmanuel: God with us. And that can never be taken away.