What Makes Me Feel Nostalgic?

Christmas makes me nostalgic.

Family. Lights. Candles. The quiet moments. The meals. The memories that seem to hang in the air.

But that is not really it for me. What gets me is this.

Today we remember that God came near.

“The Word became human and made his home among us.” (John 1:14, NLT)

I stop when I think about that. God did not stay distant. He chose to dwell with us. To enter our mess. To breathe our air. Emmanuel.

“God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23, NLT)

I cannot fully wrap my mind around it. Sometimes I feel like I cannot even breathe when I think about it.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son…” (John 3:16, NLT)

He gave.

A child.

Wrapped in cloth.

Laid in a manger.

“She gave birth to her firstborn son… and laid him in a manger.” (Luke 2:7, NLT)

This is why we celebrate. This is why the day matters. God loved us enough to come. To be with us. To give us Jesus.

That is what makes Christmas holy to me.

Merry Christmas.