Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”
Luke 1:30–33 (CSB)
I will never forget the incredible Christmas gift I was given in 2020. That Christmas Eve, Seacoast Summerville Campus was holding some late services, and as part of the staff, I was going to miss some of the fun with my husband’s family. Traditionally, we spend the evening eating Chinese takeout, listening to Christmas music, and unwrapping our gifts from each other. We watch the kids play and share the same stories from years past.
But when my brother-in-law, Dana, heard that I would be missing a large part of the family festivities, he suggested we add in a Smith family brunch on Christmas Eve, so I could see them all before I went into work.
Christmas Eve morning, we gathered around my kitchen, and we ate, we sang, we laughed. And then, Dana gave me the gift he had picked out for me. I was surprised since I would most likely see him later that night. But he wanted to watch me open it. He loved trying to pick out the perfect gifts for people. What a gift of presence that brunch was.
What I didn’t know was that it would be the last Christmas we would spend with Dana. He passed away in April of 2021. Dana was always the brightest light, but he especially shined during Christmas. He loved everything about it.
Facing Christmas without him last year felt impossible for our family. The pain was unbearable. But as Christmas approached, I found that the memory of the Christmas brunch that Dana had planned, carried me through the season. I can see now that it was a gift from the Lord that I didn’t even know I needed at the time. His favor in that season was unparalleled.
In Luke1:30-33, an angel of the Lord appears to Mary, telling her not to be afraid. God knew Mary was about to walk through something difficult and life-changing, but God was assuring her he’d be with her the whole time. The angel’s presence and message was a gift of hope and peace she could look back on when the journey got tough. Like Dana, how can we be messengers of hope and light this Christmas?
