SANTA TRACKER

The star (the kings) had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. Matthew 2:9-10

 

When I was a little girl in the 1950’s, my father worked for the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. NORAD was the first entity to have a “Santa Tracker.” Their headquarters had a huge live screen showing what was then known as the Distant Early Warning System, which tracked unidentified aircraft in the air space of the United States. (We were mostly watching the Russians at that time, not little green men.) Some of the technicians developed a simulated tracker, supposedly also in “real time,” to follow Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. It was broadcast on TV and all the kids watched until they were made to go to bed. But I thought my sister and I were especially lucky because we got to see “the real deal” in action. I remember the excitement of being at NORAD Headquarters on Christmas Eve and seeing that little “blip” that represented Santa’s sleigh. I could hardly contain myself! In this modern, digital age, there are other “Santa Trackers” now, but I’ll always remember the original, and my dad in his Air Force uniform keeping the skies safe for Santa. (And now you have some first-hand “Cold War” history! You’re welcome!)

 

All of Israel had been “tracking” the coming of the Messiah, from the prophets of the Old Testament to the shepherds on the hill outside Bethlehem, to the wise and wealthy kings who traveled from the east to find this amazing Child King. Several accounts in Scripture tell of a “star” leading the way to the place where He lay in a stable. There are many conflicting views of what that “star” might have really been: a “supernova?” A meteor or “falling star?” Science seems to come up short, and historical views don’t help much either. NORAD certainly wasn’t available to track that flying object, and so much of what we read must be taken on faith. But the message ushered in by that miraculous “star” was one we can all believe together: Christ came to bring “peace on earth and goodwill to men” (Luke 2:14).

 

Holy Child of Wonder, shine through each of our hearts like the star of Bethlehem. Amen

ANTICIPATION

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2:8-9

 

“Anticipation” is a song written and performed by Carly Simon, the lead cut from her 1971 album of the same title. Simon wrote the song in fifteen minutes while she waited for her date, Cat Stevens. “Anticipation, anticipation,” she wrote, “is making me late, is keeping me waiting.” The song has been popular for decades, and was once the background music for a ketchup commercial, as the condiment slowly dripped out of the bottle. Viewers couldn’t wait for that ketchup to land on the hamburger. We were mesmerized by the image, exactly as the advertisement and the accompanying song were designed to do to us.

 

All of Israel was waiting in impatient anticipation for the birth of the Messiah. The second chapter of Luke tells us a group of unsuspecting shepherds were on a hill outside Bethlehem. These shepherds may not have been the owners of the animals they cared for. Often, several small farmers would pay a single herdsman to care for their sheep and goats. At twilight, the sheep would have been moved safely inside a pen which then would be guarded all night. Shepherds and animals alike would likely have been awakened by the blinding light of God’s glory as the angel appeared to them. No wonder they were terrified!   But they all saw this angel and believed what the angel said to them. And “suddenly a great company of heavenly hosts appeared with the angel (Luke 2:13).” There was no doubt this message came from on high. The men went immediately to see this “baby wrapped…lying in a manger” (v.12). Luke then tells us the shepherds “spread the word…about this child, and all who heard it were amazed” (v. 17).

 

In modern times, are we as “amazed” by this story? Do we “anticipate” the news of Christ’s birth as though we are hearing it for the first time? Are we still “mesmerized” by God’s unspeakable gift of a Savior come to save us all? Come to the manger and see this tiny Miracle for yourself!

 

Lord Jesus, may we stand in “amazed anticipation” of Your coming to bring peace to all on earth! Amen

BEST CHRISTMAS EVER

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights. James 1:17

 

They’re doing it again this year. The television ads are full of all the things the world thinks we need to have “the best Christmas ever.” Seriously? Who decided this? So the value of Christmas is to be based on how surprised your children are when they open their packages? The retail world’s assessment of how much the birth of Christ means is directly proportional to the excitement induced by the purchase of the perfect item for the person whose name you drew in the family lottery. And if we can believe the television ads, those gifts had better be pretty spendy or we’ll be in big trouble with the recipient. I get a particular charge out of the commercials showing one family member presenting another with a brand new automobile, complete with a gigantic red bow attached. The spouse then morphs into a six-year-old, cavorting around the new vehicle like some pint-sized whirling dervish. Only the reminder, “Remember, it’s my car too!” brings her back to adulthood.

 

It must make God sad to see what’s happened to the most cataclysmic event in the history of the world. I know He is omniscient, so He must have known it would turn out this way eventually. But it must warm His heart when He sees some of His children remembering the real reason we celebrate this Season of Light. “When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared” says Paul in Titus 3:5-7, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” The very best Christmas ever was the first Christmas present ever, the magical night when a teenage virgin gave birth to the baby Jesus. “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:607). And “having been justified by His grace, we…become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7).

 

The wrapping on the greatest Christmas present ever wasn’t shiny and new. The child was wrapped in rags. No brown truck showed up to deliver Him. His nervous young earthly parents did it all by themselves. And the only thing we morphed into when He was born was new creatures, one and all.

 

Tiny God, we bow before You in thanks for Your unspeakable gift. Amen

 

Meg Blaine Corrigan is the author of three books: Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child; Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist; and Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of New Mexico and has worked with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and war veterans.  Her books may be purchased through her website, www.MegCorrigan.com or from www.amazon.com .

ADVENT CALENDARS

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given….And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

 

I love Advent Calendars! I have given all kinds of these Christmas count-down timetables to my children and grandchildren over the years. At first, I just gave paper ones, with little doors to open on each day of December. Then I discovered the chocolate ones! Who knew? As the grandkids got older, I spent more money, on beautiful, hand-crafted wooden ones with little drawers to hold tiny treasures. One year, I bought cute Santa stuffed figures with very long legs clad in red plaid stockings. Each leg had twelve pockets, and I stuffed them full of gift cards and sweet treats and tiny puzzles. The kids loved those.

 

Recently, I’ve been thinking about other ways to count down the days until Christmas. What if we used the Advent Calendar idea to give something to people besides little toys and treats? A family could decorate a large cardboard box and put a non-perishable food item in each day of December. On Christmas Eve, the box could be donated to a needy family or to a food shelf. Or we could keep a Thankfulness Jar with colorful slips of paper on the kitchen counter, and challenge each other to write one thing for which we are thankful each day. Then, on Christmas Eve, we could all read ours out loud—or read someone else’s and all try to guess who wrote it.

 

My favorite idea is to pick twenty-four people you care about but have not kept in touch with. On each day, from December 1^st to Christmas Eve, call one of those people and have a nice long chat. Wouldn’t that be more meaningful for both of you than just sending a Christmas card, or an email or text? I know I would be blessed by each of the people I called, and I would hope my reaching out to them would be a blessing to them as well.

 

The spirit of Christmas has never been about giving mittens and scarves or fruitcakes or money. Jesus came that we might all have communion—community—with Him. Wouldn’t He rather we celebrated His birth like that?

 

Prince of Peace, stir in us a true desire to celebrate Your coming with love. Amen

 

Meg Blaine Corrigan is the author of three books: Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child; Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist; and Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of New Mexico and has worked with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and war veterans.  Her books may be purchased through her website, www.MegCorrigan.com or from www.amazon.com .