No more lives torn apart, Then wars would never start, And time would heal all hearts. And every one would have a friend, And right would always win, And love would never end This is my grown-up Christmas list.
I can still recall the dark Christmas Eves driving home from seeing family and oh-so excited for the pending Christmas morning. It never failed that on Christmas Eve we would hear “Grown-Up Christmas List” by Amy Grant. Although back in those giddy-for-Santa-days that song didn’t really hit the way it does now. Then enter 2020 -- the year of crazy, the year of twists and turns and the year that literally came and affected the entire world, the song resonates deeper still.
The older I get, the more the true meaning of Christmas evolves in my heart. When I was little December felt like a lifetime and the days until Santa came down the chimney dragged on for days upon days. Now? The days slip by in an instant. (Although, that Elf on the Shelf serves as a reminder that I need to rack my creative brain for even more adventures yet.)
December 25th comes far too quick and with each fleeting moment and memory, I find that my Christmas list really does look a lot like Grant’s holiday chart topper. Truth is, and as cheesy or cliche as it might sound, I have everything that I could’ve ever prayed for. We have our health, we have each other, we have a roof over our head and food on the table and we have eternal hope. This year more than ever, it’s less about the stuff, the hustle and bustle and more about the feeling and the people that I still have near. It’s about carving out precious memories for our boys, it’s about reminiscing on the year gone by with hope for the future, praying that as our world enters this Christmas season we can bask in the hope that was birthed on Christmas many moons ago.
Jesus came. He brought love, hope, peace, light and life. He is the THRILL OF HOPE and the WEARY WORLD REJOICES.
