Have you received or sent out any Christmas cards yet? I wonder what kind of cards we’ll get this year. Will they portray pictures of perfectly poised families, looking at cameras with their best smiles? Or will they show some of the struggles of 2020? I sometimes wonder why we have this need to capture a moment in time and take the best shot possible, no matter how many clicks it takes.

When I think about my spiritual life, it all starts to make sense. Approaching the throne of God in prayer is not an instantly self-gratifying experience. Oftentimes it feels like weightlifting before finding that remarkable connection with the Divine. And then... abracadabra! We know it not magic, but God, like the greatest magician, pulls out a trick to disarm us and make us delight in Him.

It could be a Bible verse that speaks to our reality, or the swish of fall leaves dancing as we drive by... the first snow of the year, or a sudden downpour of rain on a quiet night as we lay awake staring at the ceiling. Most perfectly, it could be while receiving Communion in Worship. It can take a moment to get there but then, pa-rum-pum-pum-pum... here comes our smile!

Babies sometimes take up to two months to smile back at parents. But I have a feeling that Baby Jesus could smile earlier than that. Watch the video below and find Him giving the Little Drummer Boy that special “look” – a picture perfect moment in every way. The Newborn King was the master of showing that God is love and sweet surrender.

There are so many ways to prepare our hearts for Christmas: cleaning or decorating our homes, peeling and chopping onions for that special dish, and more. Whatever simple actions we take, let us arrive at that place of delight. Let us smile at Emmanuel, the God who wants to dwell within us.

God bless you!

Edyta