Gosh, the entire Christmas season can be absolutely exhausting! Let’s all just agree that sometimes we forget to slow down and appreciate the TRUE REASON for the season. Most of my family lives 3 hours away, and just traveling that far can be difficult, not to mention those of us who have to pack up babies and teenagers, food and gifts, and travel even farther. I remember how Covid really did teach us some things about slowing down, worrying less about materialism, and drawing closer to family, especially with our immediate families.

Today in scripture, we find Joseph and Mary traveling to fulfill the order to be counted by the government. It’s not like they could “AirBnb or Hotel.com” it and hop on a plane, but rather they had to travel by donkey somewhere between 70-90 miles. History and geography tell us that a direct route would have taken them through the most hostile of territories in this region. They most likely took somewhat of a detour due to Mary being with child…but also due to her condition, she probably struggled with the journey in and of itself. The biggest takeaway from today’s reading for me was how God demonstrated the extraordinary strength that it must have taken for them to make the journey, and then, because there was no room in the inn, our Christ child was born in a very simple, ordinary stable in the most humble setting, completely free of pomp and circumstance. Had it been the element of grandeur fit for a king, we might have missed the humility and simplicity that the manger scene demonstrates.

Let us move into the New Year with much reflection upon this setting. Simplicity, humility, closeness, and family time should be our prayers as we embark on yet another New Year with our most precious loved ones. What changes might your family make to demonstrate how less is really more as we look to draw closer together in the coming months?

Reflection:

• What are some ways you could simplify your life leading into this new year?
• Think of times when you had less in your life and intentionally trace the ways God did more than you could have imagined with it.
• Spend time praying for simplicity and humility to become a natural part of your life.
• Prayer: Dear God, thank You for what we can learn from the humble setting of Jesus’s birth in a manger. God, we experienced how much less is truly more as the pandemic brought our immediate families closer together. Lord, our children are only young for a little while. Remind us to slow down and cherish those moments and the little things because, in the years to come, we will look back and realize that those small things really were the big ones. Amen.

Family Application: Luke 2:1-7

Author: Amy Stampley

There were so many things in the story of Jesus’s birth that set it apart as very special. When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room in the inn. How many times have you traveled with your parents and when the hotels were all full you had to stay in a barn? Joseph knew that Mary was about to give birth to Jesus, so he had to find a place for her to rest. So many things about the story of Jesus’s birth point us to humility. Throughout the birth of Jesus, God uses ordinary things for extraordinary purposes. How much of a cool story does it make that the King of Kings would be born in a lowly stable, placed in a manger, and surrounded by ordinary farm animals?

• How do you think Joseph felt knowing he was taking care of Mary as they traveled so far with her about to have a baby?
• Take time to share with your family what your favorite part of the story of Jesus’s birth is so far.
• Prayer: Dear God, thank You for the details of Jesus’s birth that truly show He came to live among us to experience real life. Thank You for the humility of Mary and Joseph who were assigned such a special job – to carry out Your work. Lord, we love the sweet story of Baby Jesus lying in a manger being the born King of Kings. Amen.