uncertainty at Christmas

As I sit in my living room, the Christmas tree is sitting beside me, presents piled under it. December is winding down and Christmas is only four days away. Despite the overwhelming nature of this year and the hectic nature of this season, life feels surprisingly calm in this moment. This is the season in which the God of the universe once sent his son to this world to dwell with men. It’s in His character to love, comfort, and be with his people and there’s no better example of that than the narrative of Mary, Joseph, and the newborn child of God.

The Christmas story can seem stale and boring, especially if you have grown up in the church as I have, hearing it countless times over the years. However, this year I’m trying to look at it differently, dusting off the routine and normalcy that’s accumulated on the tale of the first Christmas.

The first Christmas was hardly ideal for Joseph and his pregnant wife. They spent it in a stable filled to the brim with uncertainty; at this point, nothing about life was going as they expected it to. Mary had to deal with the unplanned, the unexpected, and the uncertain for nine months and it culminated in having her baby in a dirty stable. Joseph, with his plans and his soon to be wife, had to accept an complete change to all he had expected; he had to have faith he hadn’t expected to need as his betrothed had a child who came from God.

As Joseph and his pregnant wife across the country to Bethlehem, discomfort stepped into their reality. When they were told there was no room at the inn, inadequacy and shame must have swept over Joseph as he couldn’t even find a room for his wife. When Mary, scared but faithful, gave birth to Jesus, it was in the middle of a humble, straw-covered, animal filled stable. Mary and Joseph were living in a reality that looked completely different than they expected.

From the moment Mary discovered she would be the one to give birth to Jesus, the son of God, life became completely different than what she and Joseph expected. But even after the initial shock of the angel’s announcement and Mary’s pregnant belly, even this moment of the birth of Jesus was dirtier, messier, and more fear filled than they expected.  It was surrounded by anxieties, inadequacies, and uncertainties, but in the midst of it, Jesus came. In the uncertainty, God was more present than ever.

He is still present. This season may be wrapped in tinsel, bright lights, and commercialism, but it is still the season in which a weary young mother once gave birth to the savior of the universe. It is still the season that God’s son once stepped down from heaven to live a humble life with his people and to die a painful so they could have life– so we can life.

So this Christmas, know that wherever you are, God is present. Your reality may look beautiful or it might be dirtier, messier, and more fear filled than you expected or wanted. Christmas can be the hardest season when it seems like everyone else is living out a hallmark movie and your feet are planted firmly on this imperfect earth, but wherever you are, God is there too.

This season,  just show up where you are, whether your days are full of joy and jubilation or full of loneliness, mourning, or frustration. On the hard days and the good days and everywhere in between, just show up. No matter what is in front of you, what this past year tossed you, or what is making this season feel heavy, it’s the season of Immanuel, God with us. He’s with you. Take the air that reality gives you and just breathe, sweet soul. You’re not alone. You’re not forgotten. You’re not abandoned. You’re not stuck in your anxiety, pain, or uncertainty. You’re just in the waiting and God will meet you there.

Wherever you are this Christmas, be present. God will be too.

“‘She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)” (Matthew 1:21-23)