The end?

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 

I hate the end! The last page of a good book, or the final line of a romantic movie have me often begging, "Please do not stop here, I want more". This morning I sent my brother back to his home in Seattle with a big hug. And as much as I told myself I would not cry, a small tear or two streamed down my cheek as well! Tomorrow I head back to work after almost a full week off; another ending. And as we carefully wrapped up ornaments last night,  it was clear the Christmas season was coming to an end. In only two short days we will see the end of the year. And as it often seems to happen over the holidays many people are saying good bye as they watch the end of a loved one's life. So as you put the Christmas decor back in the attic and wave good bye to the last family members to head back home after a holiday together, how do you deal with the end? 

We spend so much time preparing. We set our hopes on the coming joy, and then the joy arrives. Just like that it is over. We say next year we will start prepping earlier. Or we promise we will slow down and enjoy it all just a little more. But, we never do! And every year that magical time seems so fleeting. 

But the gift of Christmas is not just a day on the calendar. The joy of a visit with family cannot be measured in seconds. A lifetime is not marked in years. All these encounters are not just the moments themselves but how they change us. 

Christ enters our world in a manger on Christmas Day. But this is not so we can see Him or celebrate Him just this one month in December. Our encounter with Jesus at Christmas should change us. It should refresh our belief in His love and restore our hope. And our lives should look different as a result. 

A sweet woman who only was a beaming and healthy mother, journeys to heaven today. My heart feels sad as I realize her life here on earth has come to an end. But like all the beautiful people I know you are, this woman has impacted my life, and my world, with only a few brief encounters! In her there was a sense of comfort and welcoming love that I hope to reflect to others! Every now and then when I feel comfort or find myself wanting to express it, I think of her, and in that she remains in my heart. You see, it may seem like the most tragic of endings, but the truth is even though she's gone and people will mourn as a result, her presence remains. 

How can we not feel the same about Christmas? How can we not reflect the gift we have been given? How can the presence of Jesus not remain in our daily lives? We know the goodness of His love and each year on the 25th of December we receive such a beautiful reminder of that. How can we act like it is an ending? When the beauty of hope is just beginning again?

As you drive back to work tomorrow or fly home across the country, as you say your goodbyes to family and friends, feel your hearts being renewed. Christ came to earth so that each of us might know no end but eternity instead. His gift remains always. 

Even as the Christmas season starts to find it's ending, we have the joy of giving and living the Christmas spirit all year long, because we have been changed by the gift of Christ! 

If Christmas lives in us, if any moment or person changes our hearts, the truth is those things live on in us forever. There is no end.