So, it’s Christmas Eve and the house is thoroughly clean,
the cake is baked, the ham thawed and ready for the oven, the tree is up and
beautifully decorated, and the already wrapped gifts are patiently waiting to take
their place under the tree later tonight. Did I leave anything out? Don’t think
so. It’s just for me to relax now and wait for tomorrow.
Hold up! That’s in an alternate universe!
Let’s go back a bit. Every year, yes, every year I say the
same thing,
”Christmas Eve must find me with everything done. I’m not
going through this another Christmas Eve! No! Next year I just want to be able
to relax on Christmas Eve and wait for Christmas Day.”
Yes beloved, every single year I say it and every single
Christmas Eve I’m in a supermarket somewhere. Why?
Let me begin again…
So, it’s Christmas Eve and all the public spaces in
my house are thoroughly clean, “Yay!”
I never got around to buying any dried fruits to make cake, so
there are none marinating. Luckily, we’re going to my sister’s for dinner, so the
ham is still in the freezer; I’ll get to it on Boxing Day hopefully or New Year’s
Day might just be an option. If you want to scream "Arrrghhh!" on my
behalf, be my guest.
My saving grace, the tree is indeed up and beautifully decorated, actually three trees are up and beautifully decorated. The theme for this year is “Peacock”.
“For the king had the
ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s ships; once every three years the ships
of Tarshish would come carrying gold and silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.”
– 1 Kings 10:22 (NASB)
In the time of King Solomon, the peacock was a symbol of
wealth and prosperity. While peacocks, in general, represent the artistry and
creativity of God, a white peacock holds additional spiritual significance as
it symbolizes, spiritual awakening, rebirth, and new beginnings.
In this fast-paced time in which we now live we have a tendency,
like Martha, to get so busy that we forget what matters spiritually.
Beloved, we are desperately in need of rebirth, a spiritual awakening
for some or re-awakening for others, to place us back on the path to God as we manoeuvre
through the various challenges along this journey called life.
On the heels of the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ, let us remember that if it were not for His coming into this world, we
would not be able to experience the joy of rebirth and new beginnings.
So yes, it’s Christmas Eve and I still haven’t seen the
inside of a supermarket, I haven’t bought a single gift, and I still have a ham
to bake, oh that’s day after tomorrow, and let’s not talk about the private
spaces. But I have taken a pause from busy-ness to sit quietly, looking at the
white peacock on my Christmas tree and thanking God for sending His beloved Son that
I may experience all the wonderful things He has done and continues to do in my
life.
Christmas Eve can find me in this same position next year.
Amen?
Amen †
Shelley Johnson “So it’s Christmas Eve…let’s get personal” ©
2015 revisited December 24, 2025
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