The Trauma Recovery Day

The verdict is officially out. I must be getting old for I realize that by far my favorite day of the year is the day after Christmas.

It’s the day when all the build-up of noise, activity, expectations, disappointments and hopes of Christmas begins to slowly settle down and finds its proper place in an ordinary, overcast Thursday. The Trauma-Recovery Pajama Day.

The wrappers are in the recycling bin.  The presents are more or less quietly enjoyed.

The leftovers are in the fridge and the turkey carcass is in the pot, slow-simmering on the stove all day.

It’s the day when the chaos and craziness, the hype  –  both the good and the bad – is behind us and we can take in the marvel of Incarnation with a deep sigh of relief.

God With Us.

Here to stay.

Not as some celestial once-a-year visitor accompanied with a fancy entourage of glittery angels…

Not as a high-powered guest we feel the need to stretch out to please and impress…

But as an ordinary human being living an ordinary human life. Growing from infant to toddler… to teenager… to young adult…to a full grown man.

Pleased as Man with Men to dwell… Jesus our Emmanuel…

After the initial hubbub, much of His life was lived in obscurity, largely unnoticed, unrecognized, even by His own family… except, of course, His mom. 

He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of Himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status, no matter what.  Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human.  It was an incredibly humbling process.  He didn’t claim special privileges.  Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death – and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion. Philippians 2:6-8

He didn't cling to the advantages of status.  He set aside the privileges.

He lived a selfless obedient life.

And then died a selfless obedient death.

God With Us.  Day in. Day Out. Our Emmanuel.