Living in the middle of the jungle I have to admit it’s a little difficult to feel in the Christmas spirit. It’s 85 degrees. The sun shines most days and you’re lucky to go a day without sweating. The sound of palm trees rustling in the breeze drifts through the windows every afternoon. It’s pretty much eternal summer out here. And I love it!
But for me, Christmas has always been celebrated with the hope of a waking up to a fresh blanket of snow Christmas morning and temperatures that make you want to curl up with a cozy blanket next to the Christmas tree with a cup of coffee and a good book. The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season has always been something I enjoy. It’s a time that brings families together and carries with it many traditions.
But that hustle and bustle that’s so familiar to us in the States doesn’t exist here. There’s no Black Friday shopping. No sales. No department store ads. Stores aren’t decked out with decorations and playing Christmas music before Halloween even comes. There’s no weekend baking with my mom. No annual Christmas party (which I have had every year since third grade!). No scraping the first snowfall off my car. And definitely no wishing winter would hurry up and end after that first snow falls.
Don’t get me wrong, the Christmas spirit isn’t completely absent out here in the jungle. Some homes do have lights and a few decorations up. A handful of stores have opened selling toys and trees, lights and decorations. A café was playing Christmas music the other day. In English! But something is still missing. That thing you can’t quite place your finger on that sets the tone for this season. I’m finding that I have to be more intentional about getting into the Christmas spirit here in Peru. And this has turned out to be a tremendous blessing.
The absence of that fast-paced life that always manages to creep its way into our lives is something I have unexpectedly enjoyed over the last month. It has left a significant amount of time for me to really think about the true meaning of Christmas which so easily gets lost in the business that is Christmas. It has been refreshing to take a step back from all those things and really be reminding of the true and wonderful meaning of this season.
I have been in Peru for about three months now. That is so incredibly hard for me to believe! It has absolutely flown by and I have been challenged in more ways than I ever could have predicted. I’ve been pushed outside of my comfort zone time and time again, dealt with emotions I never would have guessed I’d feel, and relied on God more than I’ve ever had to in my life. And one theme is interwoven through it all - God is with us.
When we think about Christmas, about God sending us his son knowing all that would happen and fulfilling countless prophesies, isn’t the theme that intertwines it all the same? God is truly with us. When we step back and look at God’s Word from beginning to end, we find it beautifully laced with his love, faithfulness, and the reminder that He is with us. All the way back in Genesis 3, with the fall of man, we see the beginning of God’s redemption plan. He then promises Abraham that through his offspring all nations will be blessed. Isaiah speaks of a King who will be born of a virgin and will be called Immanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Prophets spoke of a man who would redeem His people and atone for their sins. All the way through Revelation God gently whispers and reminds us that He is with us. That His promises have and will continue to be fulfilled. That He is faithful. It is the greatest love story ever written.
To be honest, I have a really hard time wrapping my mind around just how much God loves us. How much He loves me; how vast a d deep and infinite that love is. How deeply He desires to be with me. To do life with me. He wants me to know him. Desires for me to be in relationship with Him. That was His plan from the very beginning, from the moment Adam and Eve sinned God’s plan to draw His people back to Him was already underway.
Immanuel. God with us. Those words have been the rock I have fallen back on more times than I would like to admit over the last three months. It is an unwavering truth. And during the Christmas season, I am reminded and challenged at just how deep that truth runs. God’s love for us, His children, knows no limit. God made himself known to us through His son. That in itself is incredible to me. He desired to be with us so much, that He sent his son to be born on that glorious night knowing full well what would happen in the coming years. All because of his unfailing, infinite love. Because He desired to be with us.
And He is with us. In the moments of unprecedented victory and triumph. Moments when we are standing on top of that mountain praising God for all He has done. Experiencing His presence and power like never before. But also during those moments He is nowhere in sight. When we cannot feel His presence. When we’ve turned our backs on him and once again try to navigate this life on our own. And in everything in between. He is with us. He will never leave. His love will never waver.
For me this truth is accompanied by an unrelenting sense of comfort. No matter what happens, no matter how many times I fail or turn my back on God or sin or choose not to obey him He is with me. Every. Single. Moment.
Jesus is all the evidence we need that God is trustworthy and good. That He is here with us. Christmas is an incredible reminder of this truth.
Have you taken time out of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to really consider the meaning of Christmas? What truth God wants to teach you?
When do you sense God’s presence in your life?
What are two or three moments in your life you can look back on and be reminded that God is with you?
I encourage you to take a few minutes, read the story of Christ’s birth and listen for that gentle, loving whisper of God.