I wonder how many people will be driving home for Christmas. Or will you be flying, or traveling by train? I’ve heard the next few days are some of the busiest on the motorways and in the airports, and I’m glad to be cosying up at home.
Making travel arrangements at Christmastime can be extremely stressful, especially if bad weather leaves you stranded. We don’t have much snow in the UK, but high winds and flash floods often lead to cancelations. I recall watching the news one Christmas Eve to discover that many people would be spending the night on the floor of Heathrow airport because of an air strike.
It seems appropriate that so many go home at this time of year, as we remember a couple who had to journey roughly ninety miles due to a census that demanded an enforced return to the town of their ancestry. And of course, there is no Biblical record of that famous little donkey, so perhaps Mary had to walk. Even if she did have an animal to ride on, it wouldn’t have been a comfortable experience for a woman who was eight months pregnant.
We also remember the wise men who journeyed from the East, following a star, bringing precious and expensive gifts for the baby born to be King of the Jews.
Our Christian walk is also a journey. It begins when we realise the baby in the manger is Christ the Lord and we accept him as our Saviour. It continues through the many dangers, toils, and snares of life which we face with God’s guidance and strength, leading us one day to an eternal home where pain and suffering will be no more. It’s an exciting journey, but Jesus never promised it would be easy. However, I thank him for guiding me along his straight path every day, and my prayer is that you will join me so we can walk side by side, encouraging one another in his love as we go.
Prayer
Lord, I pray for the safety of those who are traveling this Christmastime. May flights and trains be on-time, so everyone will reach their destinations and be reunited with their loved ones.
Song: Seekers and Dreamers by Graham Kendrick
Scriptures to Ponder
Philippians 1: 6: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Psalm 37: 23-24: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”