by Linda Cox



… an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21 NIV



We’re approaching that “most wonderful time of the year.” You know, the time when we start dreaming of a White Christmas and sleigh rides in the snow. When we roast chestnuts on an open fire after rocking around the Christmas tree. When we hear jingle bells and silver bells reminding us to have a holly, jolly Christmas. When we promise to be home for Christmas so we won’t be blue. When we hope grandma doesn’t get run over by a reindeer. Or we don’t lose our two front teeth. Or the kids don’t see mommy kissing Santa Claus.


With the music of Christmas now dancing in our heads, it’s easy to see what current tradition defines as a “good” Christmas. It may be “warm and fuzzy,” but it’s also empty. It’s missing something.


That’s right. Jesus. The Reason for the Season. The baby in the manger in the little town of Bethlehem. The baby the herald angels from the realms of glory sang about on the midnight clear as shepherds watched their flocks in that silent, holy night. The child that the three kings from the Orient came to see and worship as they followed the star.


As we celebrate the birth of Christ, many will simply talk about their Christmas plans and activities. But we can talk about our Savior and Lord. How He came to earth for us. To be God with us. That Christmas isn’t something that just happened in the past but a message about the Savior we need now. A message that brings joy to our Christmas but also comfort to the hurting, the lonely, the depressed, the grieving, the dying.


And as we speak of Him who died that we might live, we’ll transform the most wonderful time of the year into a most holy time of year. Come, Lord Jesus.



Linda Cox is a regular contributor to DivineDetour. She recently retired after twenty-five years as a district office secretary for the State of Illinois. Her first loves are studying the Bible and reading, but she occasionally tries her hand at writing. Her work is published in All My Bad Habits I Learned from Grandpa (Thomas Nelson),The One-Year Life Verse Devotional (Tyndale), Life Lessons from Grandparents (Write Integrity), Love Is a Verb (a devotional from Bethany House), and Chicken Soup for the Soul’s I Can’t Believe My Dog Did That. She lives on a farm with the “Bone Mafia,” her two indoor/outdoor farm mutts.