Christmas away from Home

I have always LOVED Christmas - it's my favorite by far. But, I would be workin' real hard to sound religious if I said that Christmas has always been a worshipful season for me. It's been the pre-Christmas decorating with dad, browsing the cinnamon-smelling shops with mom, and opening presents at Grandma's house on Christmas Eve that have been my most consistent joys during the season.

A couple years back, I spent my first Christmas away from home and I learned something about the Gift of Christmas for the first time. Here are parts of the letter I wrote home.


Dear Family,
. . . This year I think I have my first real reason to feel very personal with Christ in giving Him thanks for Christmas.

Being away from home....is sad. I miss seeing many of your faces. I miss knowing you; talking with you; getting to know you more. I miss touching you. I miss knowing that you're close. Memories make me cry and smile...I have so many memories driving me home.
I feel the sacrifice of coming here (an overseas mission) these days. Sometimes I have to stop in the middle of whatever I'm doing, or wherever I am, and take a deep breath because of the heaviness of being away. Tears come, and ache, too. Ache for you and things familiar. In this new world of mine...it's just so different.

Christ, on Christmas, was away from home for the very first time in all eternity. He had been in heaven from the beginning with His Father, getting to know Him, loving Him, dancing with Him.
On Christmas, He came to earth...a new place where nothing was familiar; where sin RULED - and He knew no sin! He came to earth, and His world as God was ROCKED. He left His Father, the only other One who "spoke His language," the only other One with His same perfect innocence. The only One who really knew Him. And the road ahead was long and all unfamiliar.

Quite possibly (in my head, I would say this for sure right now) Christmas was the day Christ made His biggest sacrifice for us. It was the first day He left everything behind; the first of many days. He would live with no break to go touch His Father...touch His face...or just go sit across the table from Him and have coffee.

Yes, His death was definitely a sacrifice - pain and abuse all climaxed at that one point.
But, His death was also His flight home. His mission was finished. His Father was just moments away! Hope must have double climaxed: 'For the JOY set before Him, He endured the cross!'

Yes, for the joy set before Him. Uh, what I would do right now for a flight home...

But, like Christ on Christmas, I am not with you, my family, for the first time. It is a great sacrifice. I say that to brag on Christ. I'm comin' home soon! Christ had a lifetime to live.

His sacrifice at Christmas makes me grateful. He is the One I want as MY Savior. It brings me to tears that He would be away from home for so many years for my salvation's sake. What a Savior we have.

I love you so much. Christ loves you more.

'I just can't wait to be home.'
Pauline


Merry Christmas to you and your family. I pray you find yourselves safe, warm, and with all the ones you love the most.