Christmas is all about this four-letter word.
The whirl and glitter of December stir me into action. I like to decorate, bake, buy gifts, and string my life with busy verbs. But as I cross off the verbs on the to-do list, I circle this preposition. I hope you’ll remember it, especially if you tend to get caught in the verbs of life and what you strive to accomplish.
This small word motivates me. And it carries the meaning of Christmas.
God put on flesh and became a baby to become our Savior—Jesus. This name highlights a noun and a verb because Jesus means: The Lord Saves.
But my favorite preposition is in another name for Jesus—Immanuel. This means God with us.
WITH
Our focus shouldn’t be limited to verbs. I’m finding greater meaning in whom I share life with.
For example, I’ll never forget an afternoon in a small city park. It wasn’t the day, place, or activity that made the occasion special. It was the person I was with. I was falling in love, walking with the man I would later marry.
Too often, I’ve measured success by verbs, all I do. Or I’ve pinned my happiness on circumstances. Placing a high value on what I do, all I have, or how I look leads to frustration and disappointment. When I make life all about me, joy disappears. But Jesus offers us life with him. Every day. Every moment. This is the amazing story of Christmas.
No matter what’s going on in your life, embrace my favorite preposition. God hasn’t forgotten you. And any ordinary, even a mundane Monday, becomes extra-ordinary with Jesus.
Christmas blessings!