Don't Miss the Joy

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people. Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord.   Luke 2:6-7

To read the whole account of Angels appearing to the Shepherds, click here: Luke 2:8-16

REFLECTION

by Mary Alice McGinnis

One of the greatest joys of my life was the day I learned I was going to become a mom. That joy blossomed the day my son was born, healthy and happy. The moment I held him in my arms, I marveled at his tiny fingers curling tightly around mine and felt his soft breaths warm against my chest, filling me with a love deeper than anything I had ever known. Hearing his first cry and seeing his very first smile brought tears of gratitude and awe—each precious detail made the happiness of his arrival truly unforgettable.

Soon after his birth, my precious son became very sick. When he refused to nurse, I rushed him to the doctor. The doctor looked straight into the eyes of this frightened first-time mom and said, “You need to take this baby boy to the hospital immediately.” Dread swept over me like an ominous dark cloud.  

Think back to a moment when joy and anxiety collided in your life? How did you navigate those feelings?

Foreboding joy haunts all of us.

Joy arrives together with fear. There’s a hollow ache in your stomach, dread whispering that this elation could be swept away by tragedy at any moment. Your pulse quickens, and anxious thoughts flicker: What if it’s all too good to be true? What if, in the end, you discover it was just a beautiful delusion?

The shepherds in the Christmas story were the very first to receive the extraordinary news of Jesus’ birth. Imagine these humble, ordinary men tending their flocks. Suddenly, the stillness of the night was pierced by a radiant light as God’s messengers—angels shining with heavenly brilliance—appeared before them. God loved these common, ordinary shepherds so much that He sent angels to personally make the announcement. The God of the heavens loved them so deeply, He chose to make this announcement to them – not kings nor the powerful. The news?   The arrival of His Son, Jesus, born into the world as both a tiny infant and the Savior for all people.

Awe and wonder flooded the shepherds’ hearts, their eyes wide with amazement and, perhaps, a touch of fear as the angel’s voice echoed across the fields. Their hands might have trembled, and their hearts pounded with excitement and disbelief—could this truly be happening to them? Maybe the news felt too good to be true, and the shepherds wondered if this was some kind of cosmic hoax.

But amid their fear, the angel invites the Shepherds to go see the living proof of this joyful news for themselves.

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

In that sacred moment, the ordinary fields were filled with the extraordinary presence of God, and the shepherds’ lives were forever changed.

The Shepherds’ jubilant response?

“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Where is foreboding joy haunting you? Does the message of God coming in the flesh seem like some sort of cosmic hoax? Consider for a moment. What if it is not a beautiful delusion? What if it is true? What if God really came in the flesh for the sole purpose of saving YOU?

How will you respond to this unspeakable joy of Christmas? Let the sign of the baby Jesus, wrapped in clothes, lying in the manager still your doubts. Allow indestructible joy to lead you to leave behind your fears and seek Him.  

Come and see the God whose relentless love led Him to be born for you.

Prayer – Heavenly Father, fill me anew with the extraordinary news of Jesus - You, God with skin on. You chose to tell me, an ordinary person, this amazing news. Help me not to miss this indestructible joy. Lead me to seek You more each day and experience the wonder of Your relentless love – the One who was born for me.