A Christmas Blessing

There's a running joke amongst my friends about how much I have changed in the past few years. I like to tell people that I used to shop at Saks and eat at Bottega's and now I shop at Kohls and eat at Moe's. :) As a stay-at-home mom my lifestyle has changed dramatically. There won't be a lot of fancy gifts or expensive dinners or even visions of smocked outfits with reindeers this Christmas. But that is okay. There was a time when I was able to give out expensive gifts but this is a different season I am in. My dear Mother-in-law recently gave me a "Mother's journal" that records all my favorite memories, vacations, foods, experiences and so forth. But one of the entries had me stumped for a while. It wanted me to list my favorite bible verse. What kind of a question is that?! How do you pick just one when really there is a lot of good stuff in the Bible. But I told Steve the other day that I think I finally figured it out. It's the verse in Esther 4:14, "for such a time as this." And while Taylor Innes (who lived with me in Jerusalem) and I used to have a joke about this verse, I really believe that it holds true for me. This season is for such a time as this. I will only be at home with my doodlebug for such a time as this and I only have a few of those moments left. So I better treasure them while I can. And while the gifts may be simple this year  bought with free gift cards that Kohls sends me in the mail :), while there may not be fancy dinners or holiday outfits and lots of Christmas decorations on display at our house, there will be a huge celebration on the inside - in my heart. As a mother of a precious son, the sacrifice that our Lord gave with his only son Jesus touches my heart in a way that I never knew existed. To think of Mary as she watched her first born son crucified on the cross - I couldn't bear it. Samuel is my first born too and he IS my only begotten son. So this Christmas I am thankful that the price was already paid and that the sacrifice was already given, and it won't be my Samuel paying that debt. I now know what true love is.