
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.