Christmas Ham

 "Trusting people is terrifying. Maybe if love is not a little scary and out of our control, then it is not love at all."

Last night I read Peanut the picture book version of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (which should really ONLY be read if you have already read the full novel). It may be my favorite Christmas fiction book.

For those who have not yet met the Herdmans, they are a lot like the Glossners on The Middle. They are a full blown, not parented mess. They learn the church has cookies for kids and they show up. Somehow they become the key characters in the nativity.

The Herdmans, who have never met Jesus, experience the Christmas story for the first time. And in the end, these selfish and rambunctious children give their most precious gift, a Christmas ham, to Jesus.

I'm always overcome with emotion when we read this part of the story. Like need four tissues ugly cry.

Shouldn't meeting Jesus move us all in this crazy way?

We've been studying Joseph this week - who I've got to say doesn't get a lot of credit for the Christmas story and should.

Joseph meets God and is moved in crazy ways.

He says YES to things that are unbelievably hard. Yes to marrying Mary who is already with child - not his. Yes to being Jesus' earthly father. Yes to moving to keep Jesus safe. Yes to traveling to the temple even though its incredibly dangerous.

I'm thinking Joseph's mother was less than thrilled. With all of the above.

But he does it anyway.

There's nothing like the holiday season to challenge this idea of "leave and cleave" in a marriage.

Joseph chose God. Joseph chose Mary. In that order.

Even if it made his Mama unhappy.

Mama Warriors, we are making some (more) hard decisions here at Fort Tkill as we approach another holiday.

I've been thinking about that part of the marriage vows that talk about "leave and cleave."

In making these tough decisions, we have to put our immediate family, the five of us, as our top priority.

What choices can WE live with? What choices do WE think are right?

We have to find our inner Joseph. We have to be able to say YES to God even if it means saying NO to others.

Especially when it means saying NO to others.

We have to give our best to Jesus first.

All choices have to be the Christmas ham level of gifting.

If you've never tackled the hard conversations of a holiday, I encourage you that this is the year. There's a pandemic - so it's a good year for change if you feel tugged and led to change.

Leave and cleave.

Loving Jesus fully is a little scary and definitely out of control.

Christmas ham gifting to Jesus.