Preparing the Way for Children of All Ages

Merry Christmas! “Prepare ye the way of the Lord…..” were Isaiah’s prophetic words (Isaiah 40:3) and John the Baptist repeated them in advance of Jesus making His debut. (Mark 1:3) And, when Jesus made His debut, it was because of His Father’s love for ALL of His children. EVERYTHING about Christmas is about children of all ages. That’s because Christmas started with a child – Baby Jesus. So here we are today -- celebrating the “happy birthday” of THAT child – the Christ child. When we don our homes with Christmas décor and nativity scenes and lights, and the gifts-buying and the gifts-giving, we are preparing the way for the true meaning of Christmas -- the ULTIMATE Gift that God gave HIS children in giving us His one and only Son. I think about how I helped prepare my children and the children of our church for Christmas and our Lord’s birth. Back in the day, I directed Children’s Christmas programs at my church. Each child was responsible for memorizing a little Christmas piece. A 3-year old might say something like “I may be small and not very tall, but I know Jesus came to save us all.” And an 8-year old might have said, “Christmas fills our hearts with joy. Love came down for every girl and boy. The greatest story ever told is Jesus, our wonder to behold!” Then all the kids, using hand gestures, would sing Christmas songs with so much cuteness you could hardly stand it. My Staci was one of those, who, at about age 3, was so shy that she’d pull her skirt over her head to hide. Who knew that little shy girl, would be a public speaker, advocate for women, and be so bold for Christ today? Oh, God did. My son would own the stage and holler out “Hi Mom! Hi Dad!” Who knew he would grow up to be an entrepreneur and speak into the many lives of others who need guidance and counsel in their own business endeavors? Oh, God did. Who knew that my two children, donned in their Christmas Children’s Choir outfits in this photo, two typical siblings who aggravated each other with such pointless matters more times than I could count, would create businesses and ministries that would make lives better for so many? Oh, God did. All because of a newborn King do kids have a future and a hope – no matter whether they prefer the front row because they like the limelight, or the back row where they can blend in with others. Who knows where they’ll end up? Oh, God does. Our Creator and He who is a KNOW IT ALL has the master plan for our kids’ lives and yours and mine – all because He loves us all so much. How do we know that? Christmas. The Creator of ALL, Master of ALL, God of ALL became flesh and blood like you and me. He grew up to change the world. He sees us from our beginning to our ending. Who could love us so much and want the best for us like that? Oh, God did. God does. God will FOREVER! The more I “prepare the way of the Lord” in my own heart—the more I draw closer to Him Who is no longer in a manger. And the more I know Him, His character, and how great His love is for me – the more I can’t keep it to myself. I MUST be a “good news” giver and ambassador as I proclaim “Joy to the world. The Lord is come. Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room!”