Meditation

Read Luke 1:26-35

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).

My Christmas preparations had come to a grinding halt. Chemotherapy interrupted my annual sprint through holiday activities. Instead of sending family and friends my usual Christmas letter, brimming with cheerful stories about children and pets, I announced that I had been diagnosed with cancer.

That year, I decorated sparsely. A simple hand-painted nativity graced my fireplace mantel. Multi-colored lights surrounded the figurines. Cancer surgery had prevented me from traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday, so I looked forward to visiting family for Christmas once I finished the next round of chemotherapy.

As I sat in my childhood church on Christmas Eve, flames from the candles danced to joyous music of Christmas carols echoing throughout the room. The light filled the church. I realized a light had shone in the darkness for me just as it had for the shepherds on the first Christmas night. Despite my grappling with the unfamiliar world of cancer and chemotherapy, one thing hadn’t changed: God sent us Jesus—Immanuel—as a baby born in a manger. Because Immanuel means “God with us,” I knew then that God was still with me.

Prayer—Thank you God, that the truth of the Christmas message never changes. Amen.

Thought for the Day—God is with me during the Christmas season and always.