Shepherds

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

Luke 2: 13, 14

Read Luke 2

 

There are many things I love about Christmas. I love that I get to be with all of my children and grandchildren, and continue my rich Italian traditions. Christmas Eve is all about our big Italian feast, making it, and serving it is one of my greatest joys. I love that each generation tries the dishes, and then eats them. I love that my children chip in, and make appetizers and desserts. The entire night is centered all around being with family and enjoying food. We honor Christ in the love we share; and the joy we express in the lives we are given. The gift exchange is quiet and slow. We take our time, we cherish the moment. We sing, we laugh, we pray, we tell Jesus Happy Birthday.

 

The house is very quiet after they all leave.  I spend a good hour cleaning and putting stuff away.  I smile as I think about the night, and I pray that they all get home safely. I wait for their text messages. Then I put music on very low, and turn off all the lights. I leave the Christmas tree on, and I may light candles. I grab my Bible, and I sit there in the low glow, and just spend some quiet time in prayer with God. This is when I will experience my favorite part of Christmas Eve, which is actually Christmas morning by then, because it is well after midnight. My entire heart will filled with a peace and joy and overflow. I will know God is Emmanuel, and feel His presence with me. There is a softness in the air, and a lightness to the oxygen. The whole world is still, it feels as if it stops spinning. There is a lull and a hush, and while the world is sleeping, God is awake and with me. Tears will spill from my eyes, and no words will be spoken, I am in awe.

 

This is when I will wonder what the night of Jesus’s birth was like. I go to the field and lay under the stars with the shepherds. In the distance I can hear the bleating of the sheep. When suddenly an angel of the Lord appears, and with him is the glory of the Lord, which shines down all around the shepherds. They are terrified, I would be too. Angels aren’t those cute little things we imagine, they are massive heavenly beings. This is why their first words to humans are “Do not fear!” Now anything that has to start out saying that to you when you see it, has to be fearful to look at! The angel doesn’t wait for their hearts to start beating again, it just continues speaking:

 

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 

Then when that angel finishes speaking this happens:

 

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

A great company of the heavenly host appears. I can’t even imagine what that looked like, and I know you can’t either. None of us have even seen one heavenly being so we have no clue what a host of them would be. We know that a host is most likely an army of angels. That is, a whole lot of angels. The sky is filled with angels. As far as the shepherds can see there are angels. These angels are giving off light and they are praising God.

 

This is when the awe of God just strikes me, and the tears flow from my eyes. This is when I let out a breath, and know the splendor of His coming. I’ll walk to the window and peer up at the sky. The stars twinkle in silence. There are no words to express how joyful and thankful I am that His favor rested upon me. That like the shepherds, God revealed His Incarnate self to me. I linger on those thoughts, and I listen to “O Holy Night, and Silent Night.” I quietly slip into bed, and I drift off to a peaceful sleep.

 

I love Christmas Eve, and I love the time I get to spend with my family. I love even more the time I get to spend with God. I truly do hope that all of you will come to a place this year where you will really allow yourself to just be in awe over God. Just read the stories in Scripture about His birth. Just sit there quietly, and imagine yourself there. Allow yourself to experience His entrance into your life. Jesus Christ really is the Son of God, and on Christmas we celebrate God becoming Man.

Merry Christmas