The King of Kings

There is magic in the air, right? And by jolly magic, I mean there is a great deal of stress. We all have our to-do lists. There are last-minute gifts we haven’t purchased and loose ends needing to be tied before we can have some time off to celebrate Christmas and close out the year.

At this point, it often feels like we’ve run a marathon getting here.

I find myself clinging to the quiet this time of year. There’s so little of it that I experience as a mom of two small children, with two rambunctious dogs, and a classroom full of eager fourth graders. I get easily overwhelmed making sure my to-do list gets completed, making sure everyone is remembered, finding thoughtful gifts, and making sure that not only do our children have a magical Christmas; I want them to understand what Christmas is and why we celebrate it.

Christmas is such an extravagant and expensive time. We find ourselves indulging in things that oftentimes we don’t merely because it’s a special occasion. We find ourselves agreeing to things we wouldn’t normally do simply in the name of the season.

When you really stop and think about what this season is all about, it really is so simple:

A young virgin gave birth to a Son who was sent here by God to save the world from our sins. Joseph, whom Mary had no relations with, accepted this and was a father to Jesus. A carpenter, who did manual labor, trusted so much. These two set out looking for a place to have the baby, following a star along the way. There was no room for them. We know the story. The King of Kings was delivered in a stable and laid in a wooden manger. The same wood that he would later be nailed to when He died to yet again save us.

Photo provided by Megan Rathz

A I write this, I wonder what Mary must have been thinking that night when she gave birth. She was so young. Was she scared? Did anyone check on them? What noises could be heard from the stable? What were the animals doing as the Messiah lay swaddled in a feeding trough?

It’s easy to get swept away with all of it. I know it will still happen to me. I will still fret and want to make sure that the house looks perfect, and I know my husband will want to make sure his beef tenderloin is cooked to perfection. The gifts will be wrapped, and I suspect Santa will pay us a visit. I hope so at least.

And like anything else, it will come so pass. The season will draw to a close. The wrapping paper will be strewn all about, tree needles on the ground, glitter from decorations for weeks to come. The most important thing though will be making sure that not only am I teaching the Christmas story to my children, but that I remember it myself.

The quiet will come one day in my life, and I know I will ache for the chaos, but today, I cherish the noise and the excitement of the season.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. His name shall be Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

– Isaiah 9:6

Megan Rathz is a wife, mother, and teacher. She says everything she has ever learned in life came from her Master Gardener mother.