Christmas has come and gone. All of the excitement of looking forward to celebrating with family and friends has subsided. New Year’s gatherings don’t generate the same anticipation for us.

You probably know that Drew and I love the lights, decorations, special foods, and gatherings Christmas offers. The gifts too, of course. We enjoyed all this year. But, the most meaningful moment of our celebration is when on a chilly, dark Christmas morning, I put baby Jesus in each of our three nativity scenes.

One small action speaks to my heart more than any other tradition. The promise of Jesus’s birth permeates all our festivities but then it is fulfilled. The wonderful temporal joys of Christmas gave way to the eternal, Immanuel – God with us. All of human history is forever changed.