ONE MINUTE WITH MARLIN

What was it like for Joseph and Mary to change baby Jesus’ diaper? To feed and care for him? From all appearances, Jesus was a typical baby boy—except for that little detail of being fully God in human form! I wonder at times if Joseph and Mary’s lives were any different from our own? The Son of God was in their midst—but did they also deal with the normalcy and mundaneness of everyday life that we parents struggle with? Did baby Jesus ever get into the pantry and accidentally break jars as he learned how to use his physical body? Did He even have to “learn” that part of life, or did it just happen automatically? How old was Jesus when he learned to scoot around on the floor, crawl, and then totter back and forth on his feet?

Is it not incredible to think the God who created everything chose to send His son to this earth, experience life much the same as we do, and then give His life for us in death? Jesus, through His incarnation, validates and verifies the sanctity of human life from birth to death. What an unbelievable thing He has done for us!

I read recently of a Guinness world record that I’ve never heard of before. In 2010, a hotel in Abu Dhabi built the world’s most expensive Christmas tree. It was more than 40 feet tall and held ornaments worth more than $11,000,000. So, in case the conversation ever comes up about keeping Christ in Christmas, you can pull that factoid out of your back pocket to make your point. Christmas is more than expensive trees and gifts. I wonder: how far have we veered from the real purpose of celebrating Jesus’ birth?

The gift that’s worth the most is what God gave to the world: his son Jesus.

May you and your family have a wonderfully blessed Christmas time! As always, may you find joy in the simple things.

Marlin
Plain Values Publisher