What’s the real magic of Christmas?

It happens every year. We know the day when we celebrate it. We know what to expect and the traditions involved with it. Christmas means different things to different people, but we all share similar experiences. We’re surrounded by colorful lights, people carrying presents, and carolers singing in the night. Christmas is everywhere, but our hearts. The things that make up this season are all beautiful and they take me all the way back to when I was a child. Christmas filled my heart and made me believe that all was going to be well in the coming year. As the years have passed, it seems as if Christmas lost its magic. I find myself wondering if there’s something I keep missing or don’t get enough of. I start to think of what this time of year means and how it really affects me. Christmas is wonderful, and if you look beyond Santa and his sleigh, you hear about baby Jesus and His coming into the world. We’ve heard it over and over again, but do we really understand what it means? Has Christmas ever touched our hearts? Why do we celebrate it? What’s in it for our hearts? Are we finding the joy and peace that Christmas should awaken into our soul? Or, are we just too busy planning for everything to be perfect, when in fact, our hearts are left empty and deeply longing for more? I can imagine God looking down on an earth fully decorated with lights and resounding with song; an earth so caught up in the preparations and traditions that it missed the real reason of our celebration. I can also imagine Him crying over how frozen our hearts have gotten; we live in cold darkness. I won’t let this Christmas pass by without noticing the small details and drinking in the beauty of what Christmas symbolizes. I won’t be satisfied until I feel with all my heart the joy and peace that Christmas brings. I want to know Jesus and the stillness of His presence. I will look for Him while living in the moment. I will let the warmth of His love penetrate every part of me. Let’s look at the lights and embrace the Light that changed our world forever! Let’s stop being so caught up in getting presents and rather, let us offer our whole hearts to the ones we love in an effort to understand what God has given us. Also, let every carol or song flood our thirsty hearts while bringing the fresh sound of truth. Christmas has such a deep significance to it. Please take the time to grasp at least a tiny glimpse of it! Let’s celebrate Christmas like we did when we were children; with pure hearts and innocent eyes. Christmas is about peace, joy, and hope! It’s about God’s Light igniting our universe. Light that gives you life!