The Day After — December 26th — it’s Boxing Day!
December 26th is not only a day for Santas everywhere to catch their breath, but, I remember when we lived in Canada — we celebrated Boxing Day! Though it lends to the fact that empty boxes from the gifts and presents are trashed and unwanted gifts are returned to stores, it came from a British origin that is traced back to 1833 when lords of manors and aristocrats distributed “Christmas boxes” filled with gifts, money and leftovers from Christmas dinner to their household servants and employees. They had been required to work on December 25th and were recognized for their good service throughout the year. It is also said that Boxing Day’s name came from the charity boxes that were placed in churches during the Advent season for the collection of monetary donations to be distributed to the poor on December 26th. It is also the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr and and known for his acts of charity. (Ireland celebrates December 26th as St. Stephen’s Day.) So there you go — now you know! You’re welcome!
But we’ve taken Boxing Day to a whole new level in our family this year. Our birthday celebration for Jesus was literally amidst boxes and it will carry on in a ginormous way today. We are literally boxing boxes, loading them up and getting them to their new place. Today is the last day in the beautiful home where so many lives have been touched, healed, restored and have come into the family of God. So many precious memories here, but have no fear — we expect even greater blessings coming in their new season.
We didn’t forget that yesterday was Jesus’ Birthday – so, as with another little tradition to savor, I made a lasagna for the “moving team”, but, most importantly, made my chocolate cake! We sang “Happy Birthday to Jesus “ and partied to “Boxes we have raised so high – sweetly towering to the sky!”
I would be remiss to end this blog with Boxing Day “talk”, because while we’ll soon be boxing away our Christmas decorations that include the manger scenes and Holy Family figurines — we will never be able to box away God’s great love for us. For some, seeing Jesus as a baby in a manger and “boxing” Him away for another year is as close as they want to get. Perhaps the grown-up Jesus seems too far removed from their every day life. If we keep Jesus at arm’s length, we’ll never get to know and love Him for Who He truly is. If we don’t get to know Him, we won’t love Him. If we want to move faith from our heads to our hearts, we must fall in love with the REAL — alive and well — Jesus.
To fall in love with Jesus, it must be more than a once-a-year way, but deeply — everyday. That kind of knowledge takes time and persistence, just like any good relationship. Jesus invites us to abide in His love — rest, stay, tarry — not rush past it. In John 15:9, He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
How do we get to that kind of love? There are so many reasons to love Jesus. He is real, and He loves us so much. For us to experience that love, we need to really know Him. As we stand at the front door of the Wallace’s new home, and as we stand at the door of a new year, won’t you join me in seeking to know Him more? That’s my Priority #1 for the new year!
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”. (Ephesians 3:17-19)