'Twas the Night Before Christmas

While every Christmas is a cause for reflection, I find this one especially so. You see, two years ago was a very different Christmas for my family….

 Dad had been without a job for eight months. God had taken care of my family in so many ways, so we were not without money to live on, but we needed to be conscientious and frugal in our Christmas preparations. Going into that day, I knew we would have the same wonderful joy of the season and would be able to celebrate Christ’s birth no matter how many or few presents were under the tree, but it still felt weird.

That year was also my first Christmas living in Columbus. Now, I had celebrated many Christmases in Columbus before; we often came to celebrate Christmas with my dad’s family. But this year was different. We were living in my Grandma and Grandpa Roller’s huge house and they weren’t. They had moved into a retirement community called Willowbrook around Thanksgiving and we were getting their house ready to go on the market while waiting for dad to get a new job at a college in who-knows-where. Two years ago was a time of uncertainty and lots of changes for my family and me.

Then, miracle of miracles, two days before Christmas that year, Mount Vernon Nazarene University hired dad as their Dean of Business. After eight months of searching, waiting, and praying, our prayers were finally answered by God’s continued provision. He had us in the palm of His hand the whole time. I wrote on my Facebook that day: “The year that I might call the hardest in my life ends with the Christmas I could call the best in my life. Two days before Christmas I get the news that my dad has a job! I was just glad that I could spend Christmas with my family, but I received the most amazing gifts. With an iPod Nano from my "big sister Kim" and her family and a beautiful used car from my dad Bob Roller, I am so amazingly blessed! Thanks to everyone for your prayers and thanks to God for answering them!”

This year has also been a different Christmas. No, we don’t have the financial difficulties or the unique situation of two years ago, and for that I am truly thankful. Instead, this year has been the first time I’ve been away at John Brown University. My whole family has been trying to figure out what to do with me gone (myself included!) and about the time we all had it mostly figured out, I come home again for nearly a month between semesters. It makes things interesting to be gone for four months, let me tell you.

In so many ways, it is like I never left. We listen to the same Christmas music. We make gingerbread houses together. We wrap presents. I stay up late and talk to my mom. I go on walks with my sister. Dad and I run Christmas errands together. We go to a candlelight Christmas Eve service…all the things that our family usually does.

In other ways, it’s different. I’m still trying to figure those things out and how to deal with the changes. I am wondering what to do with the thoughts and feelings that are racing around the heads of me, my mom, my dad, and my sister. We all are; we want everything to just be the same, but it’s not. And that’s okay. Really. (Or at least I keep telling myself that.)

As I look forward to the next months and years, I see that things are changing and will continue to change. Yet, the important things stay the same. God is faithful. He sent His Son into the world as a little tiny baby to save me, and you, and all of us from our sins. Emmanuel is still God with us. At home, I have a family who loves me and will continue to do so. I always will have a place in their hearts.

So that’s probably my not-so-deep reflection from this night before Christmas: While many things change, with our God the important things stay the same.

May you be blessed this Christmas day knowing that God is with us. May you know the wonder of the Savior’s birth in your heart and life, and may you find a family and a home with which you can share the love of God this Christmas season, whether it’s the one you were born into or one you have to find yourself. Blessings my friends.

Merry Christmas!