A few days ago Kevin Michael was in the passenger seat as we pulled into a parking lot and found a spot beside a bright yellow pickup truck that had been lifted a few inches and had given the oversized tire treatment. In unison, we spoke. He said “awesome truck!” I said “ugly truck.” Then we looked at each other in amazement and had a good laugh.
Perspective is everything. Kevin will be thirteen in a couple of months. He has aspirations of a learner’s permit in a couple of years and is already thinking of what he will drive some day.
My perspective is a little different. With eight children to transport my taste in vehicles has changed a great deal from when I was a youth. Don’t get me wrong, I have an appreciation for fast sports cars and four-wheel drive Hummers that can go almost anywhere off-road. But these days I must be a bit more practical.
The innkeeper who gave Mary and Joseph the cattle stall for lodging had a different perspective than the shepherds who came to see the baby Jesus. To the innkeeper, this young couple was just a victim of circumstance. To the shepherds who had been visited by the angels, this was a holy and awesome event. They couldn’t help but tell others about what the angels had told them and what they had witnessed.
What’s your perspective this Christmas? For those without Jesus as Savior, Christmas is just another holiday — maybe a little more special because of the decorations, gift giving and extra time off work. But for followers of Jesus Christ it’s very different. And we should be sure we don’t view Christmas as just another holiday. Will you cherish the Christ child? Will you live a life of gratitude for the unspeakable gift of the Savior? Will you tell others as the shepherds did, unable to keep silent about the Savior?