This post previously appeared on That Mommy Blog. I’ve edited it lightly but liked it enough to bring it over here, mostly untouched. Thanks for reading, dear one.

Hi there, friend.

I’m popping in to wish you (yes, you!) a very Merry Christmas.  

I hope it’s everything you need it to be this year.

I hope your days are merry and bright.

I hope God gives you peace in the busy-ness, rest from the weariness, and comfort in the grief.

I hope you’re surrounded by the people, animals, and things that warm your heart.

I hope you enjoy good food without worrying too much about your waistline, and if you insist on eating kale instead of cookies, I hope you enjoy it!

I hope most of all that you will embrace the beauty of the season.  A beauty not made out of ribbons and bows, or sugar and spice, or even those sweet babies’ eyes when they see what Santa brought.

I hope you embrace the beauty of a God who loves you so deeply, so profoundly and so thoroughly that He became like you in order to reach you.

Divine Creator, come to Earth as a baby.  Because Lord knows we can’t reach high enough to get to Him.  We can’t be good enough, do enough great things, or love people well enough.  Left on our own, we can’t reach Him.

But He can reach us.  And He did.

He made a way.

Jesus is the way back to God.  

He is a savior who reconciles divine holiness with human mess.

My Christmas hope for you is that you experience His unbridled love for you today.

Because I love you, dear reader, but He loves you so much more.

Blessings!