HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS

Dear Jesus,
Yes, I do know that you were not born on December 25th; but as you know, us feeble and frail and finite human beings, still feel we need to try and nail these things down. You probably are (of course you are) aware of the battle between "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas". You must laugh at that, or maybe even shed a tear. It seems to me that what is really important to you, if we are going to celebrate your birth at this time of year, is that we focus on the person rather than the product.

Your Word is full of truth about you and how to relate to you; and how you are the only way to God the Father in Heaven. That is the truth we must all wrestle with, accept by faith, and share with others. Many of the other things we spend our time worrying about, arguing about and pursuing on this day, and on every other day of the year, seem so petty, so selfish, so temporal. I'm sorry, Jesus, that I can easily get caught up in the same things.

Happy Birthday. Thank you so much for coming to earth 2,000 plus years ago, to be born of the Virgin Mary, in humble settings, for a very particular purpose. I realize that the people did not understand exactly why you were here; including your closest followers. You were not here, not yet, to set up your Kingdom; but to preach the Kingdom of God; and to do what only you could do, to allow us to be a part of that Kingdom some day. You laid down your life; and by doing so, you broke all barriers between us and God, setting aside the sacrificial system, and completing the work you came here to do.

Thank you! I am sorry, as your follower, that I get so distracted by other things, that I many times lose my focus on you. For this Christmas, and for this new year, I am re-committing myself to following you wholeheartedly, to making everything about you; and living out the purpose you have given me.

I need to go now and blow out the 2,000 candles; and then take a nap.
The herds of children will soon be thundering down...
to celebrate your birth!