The Weary World Rejoices

For the past 6 weeks, at least one person in our house has been sick.  Last weekend, our house got a new round of crud that brought more coughing, aches, fevers and I-want-to-stay-in-bed-and-do-nothing tiredness.  Tonight, Christmas Eve, Sammy is the most recent "winner" of the fever prize.

I'm tired.

This sickness stuff is for the birds.  I find myself feeling so sad that our family's Christmas memory making has been few and far between.

Christmas crafts...nope.
Downtown Christmas lights...nope.
Advent reading every night...nope.
Christmas Eve Service...nope.
Hosting Christmas dinner with both sets of grandparents...nope.

We managed to make my in-laws sick, not knowing that it was more than a cold...and my parents don't want to get sick, so they're staying away too.  I don't blame them.

I'm tired.

Yesterday morning, when my husband woke me up letting me know that he had won the fever lottery, I decided to stop ignoring the day set before me and get up.  I coughed myself downstairs and opened my Bible.  Before I began to read, I was still.  Now, I'm not sure if I was being still before God, or if I was so tired that I wasn't able to function.  Either way, these words popped into my head.

The weary world rejoices.

I'm weary.

Before I go on, I just want you to know that I know that fevers are not the end of the world.  There are so many other things that are a million times worse than cold sweats and runny noses.  I get that.  

I wish I could say that ever since those words popped into my head, I have had a happy disposition and a new attitude.  Not the case, but God keeps using my sin-filled moments to remind me that even though I'm weary, I still have a reason to rejoice.  Actually, those sin-filled moments are the very reason that I should rejoice.

Christmas isn't about what I so many times try to make Christmas about.

There will be no homemade cinnamon rolls Christmas morning...

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save  his people from their sin."  Matthew 1:21

...but I still have a reason to rejoice.

No steaks on the grill for Christmas dinner.  We will be dining on a pre-made pizza from Sam's Club...

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means, God with us."  Matthew 1:23

...but I still have a reason to rejoice.

I ran out of wrapping paper and two of Wes' presents aren't wrapped...

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

...but I still have a reason to rejoice.

Sammy may still be sick, I may still have a hacking cough and Max may wake up sick (please, no)...

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:17

...but I still have a reason to rejoice.

My weariness and our lack of Christmas-y-ness seem pretty trivial compared to the magnitude of the truth in those verses, but I love how God can use even the smallest things to shift our perspective back to Him.

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4