The Christmas Story, To Be Continued…

The beloved hubby and I were totally engrossed in the drama playing out on the screen and the mounting suspense of the plot. We had both lost track of time which allowed us to be surprised, and not in a good way, with three of the most irritating words ever heard by anyone absorbed in a story line, “to be continued.”

Bummer!

Cliffhangers are well named. They can leave you feeling like you were on the verge of something big when someone hit the brakes and treated you to an unexpected dose of emotional whiplash.

You know, kind of like the first few days after Christmas.

I may have switched gears a bit too abruptly there myself, but can we just admit that sometimes Christmas can feel like one of those unpleasant cliffhangers, too? There’s all the planning, the buildup, and the expectation and then— WHAM, it’s over. I can almost hear the confused cartoon voice of Elmer Fudd saying, “Which way did it go?”

The difference, of course, is that Christmas was never meant to end. To let it be a cliffhanger is to miss the meaning of the season entirely. So, whether you’re packing away the decorations or staring at them in hopes that they’ll disappear on their own— and I don’t know anyone who would do that— allow me to remind us everyone of the ongoing miracle of Christmas.

The new life we celebrated on Christmas Day did signal the end, the end of man’s separation from God, and the beginning of our new life in Him. The birth of Jesus Christ forever bridged the great chasm between who we are and who we were meant to be, children of God made in His image, transformed by His love.

All those things that sound impossibly difficult to our ears, from loving Him with all of our heart, mind, and soul to forgiving someone over and again without keeping score, they’re all within reach for anyone willing to reach for Him and never stop clinging to the blessed hope of heaven. Merry Christmas friends, to be continued…

Hugs, Shellie