My grandson, Emmett, wiggled and wiggled as I tried to put on his pajamas. His silly mood made us both giggle and fall on the bed with laughter. Then suddenly, Emmett grew quiet and still for a moment, and his eyes gleamed and grew as big as planets. 

“Marmee, we saw Christmas lights tonight!” 

“Yes, we saw Christmas lights tonight.” 

Those were the only words that we said to each other, yet so much more was communicated in that short and meaningful dialogue.

Emmett is only 3, and we have been out in the cold, dark on many winter holiday nights before this evening. The thing that made this excursion special was that for the first time, he really saw “the lights” and became captivated by their beauty and mesmerizing shine against the night. 

Now he has a first-hand experience and a better understanding of their purpose during this glorious holiday. It doesn’t matter that he’s only three. And it doesn’t even matter that he may not remember this particular night. What has imprinted his heart and mind is the feeling of the moment. Although, it is ephemeral, the meaning of the memory may last a lifetime in his treasure chest of special occasions. Tonight all the wonder and mystery of the season awakened within him for the first time. Emmett will enjoy many more revelations regarding the story of the birth of Christ, but this one becomes the backdrop. 

I love firsts. 

I had a similar experience at age 5 while lying under my parents Christmas tree at home. I too was captivated by the sparkle and beauty. Of course, the Christmas music in the room added to the ambiance and magnified my memory. I forever learned in that experience that Christmas was something unique. It was the first time that I saw the lights of Christmas and felt there was a depth of message beyond their commercial value. At five, I didn’t care what the message was, I only knew that it captivated my heart.

There is such a hopeful feeling across the weary world this year as we approach the holidays. We are sick of the negativity and ready to embrace the good! We have been hit over and over with unconscionable events, shifting cultures, sickness, death, war, and for some irrevocable change.

My prayer is that we will pause to remember the Christ child that we experienced at “first” as children or with the eyes and ears of children. God is speaking. He is in the sparkle, calling you to things that will last forever beyond the temporary glitz. 

This Christmas let your doubts go and hear the message anew. See the beauty with fresh eyes. There is hope still shining out of the little town called Bethlehem from ancient times. God is able to reveal himself and do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you can ask or think. Ask him. Believe him. Receive him.

Maybe

The holy mystery of Christmas is not hidden. It shouts in the streets like a vendor and

blocks the highway like a barricade. It’s the crazy unexplainable 

that flashes with bright clarity for a second and collapses in the warm arms 

of hope that yearn for home. It’s the beauty of heaven that 

falls with profound awe that you can’t shake—the blinding light that seeps 

through the cracks of your perfectly sealed door after it’s slammed shut. 

It’s that relentless gnawing, knowing that whispers, “Maybe, just maybe.”

Bonnie Saul Wilks