Why we don’t want to spend Christmas with family next year

We’re hoping that we won’t be spending Christmas with our relatives for the next few years. In fact we’re praying that God will help see that happen.

I know, it sounds horrible. Some of you may be imagining loud arguments and hatetful words. You may be thinking about hurt feelings or short tempers. But before you debate whether our families are dysfunctional or not, let me assure you that we love each other very much.

Ours is a unique situation. While we would love to be with Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts Uncles and Cousins next year, we want to be in Papua New Guinea even more.

So this was a bittersweet time for us; wanting to be excited about presents, songs, and  all that is Christmas, but not being able to forget that it may be our last for a long time. It was easy to feel a little melancholy.

And then in the midst of feeling low, the Lord helped me see things in a new light.

My son Jonas was to read the Christmas story from Luke at a big family gathering this year. I remembered reading it in front of everyone as a boy, and could empathize with him. So I typed out a copy of the passage with large easy to read letters. Looking back and forth from Bible to computer screen I slowly transcribed the story of Luke 2.

But I stopped after typing that the angel brought "good news of great joy which shall be for all the people" It was to be for ALL THE PEOPLE.

It had never hit me before, at least I’d never noticed it. Here was God’s plan for redeeming the world, His Son wrapped in human flesh and lying in a manger. That was the good news. But who was the good news for? All the people. God’s heart, His promise to Abraham, His plan to bring glory to Himself, His Great Commandment.

I sat there thinking about the words of that angel. I thought about shepherds and wise men from other lands. I thought about how that good news of great joy had been spread throughout the world. And I thought about how our little family might one day be able to share that good news with a people who have yet to hear.

And that made this a very good Christmas.