Suddenly Christmas
When we got the news that Dave Cruse’s father had a massive heart attack, when we heard an hour later that he hadn’t made it, suddenly, everything changed. Our plans to entertain the audience, the laughter we expected to share, the celebration of Carmen’s first 5K run all were suddenly stalled by an unexpected call and tragic news. Life happens that way. As Joan Didion wrote in The Year of Magical Thinking, “You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.” Many life-changing, life-shaping moments happen in an instant.
I remember the birth of my first son was like that. All the parenting classes and Lamaze sessions in the world couldn’t have prepared me for August 25, 1993 at 5:07 p.m. The news of Dave’s dad was like that too, only from the other side of the emotional chart. You know what else was like that? The first Christmas, when God’s plan of redemption, set in motion by a promise to fallen Eve (Genesis 3:15), erupted on the stage of human history with the words “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel…” (Luke 2:13). Note that first word. It applies to the most significant things in the history of God’s dealing with us. When God became man in Jesus, when the Holy Spirit was poured out to empower Christ-followers (Acts 2:2), when the last day of history is written (1 Thessalonians 5:3), all these epoch-shifts will have happened “suddenly.” But only from our perspective.
From God’s point-of-view, just like Christmas appearing suddenly, being planned and foreshadowed from Genesis onward, nothing happens by surprise, even if it happens suddenly. In Scripture, “suddenly” often indicates redemption, the fulfilling of the promise, the realizing of our hopes and longings. Remember that this Christmas season. Remember it even if life catches you suddenly, or if you’re grieving a loss from Christmases past. “Suddenly” is no surprise to the God who made you and purposes good, even when the phone rings. May you know the sudden gift of God’s grace and peace through his Son this season.
Merry Christmas
Bill Martin