The Night Before Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas

And all through the house

I wandered alone, my joy somewhat doused.

See, the stockings were hung and the tinsel was scattered

But I sat there wondering if all of this mattered.

There must be more, I thought to myself,

Then ribbons and bows and elf on a shelf.

I thought of my loved ones, both near and afar

And silently wished on a bright evening star

That something more than stuff under a tree

Would give some meaning to both them and me.

When what to my wondering eyes did I spy

But a tiny figurine of an angle on high,

Looking down on a manger with a babe small and sweet,

Surrounded by his parents and wise men at a keep.

And I thought about that fateful day

When that babe came to take all my sins away.

Though my trials have been many, and my journey has been hard

There was a joy in his eyes I couldn’t discard.

I thought of the sacrifices he made in his life

So I could walk in freedom and receive a new life.

I could leave the burdens and the brokenness behind

For he calls me worthy and allows me to shine.

And in the moment I realized with a start

That perhaps there was more than just presents to impart.

Things like wisdom, joy and peace, to name a few,

And a life that with a purpose he came to renew.

Somewhere in the hustle and bustle of Christmas

I reflected it was much too easy to miss this—

That Jesus came to set me free

To give me meaning and allow me to be

A part of a story, so rich and profound,

It was able to turn this whole world around.