The magic of Christmas is man-made…
or often woman-made…
or to put it without gender…
Human-made…
The magic of Christmas is crafted…
And that doesn't just mean handcrafted…
Baked in an oven…
Glued…
Taped…
Tied with a bow…
The magic of Christmas is in intention…
The magic of Christmas takes planning and work…
There’s magic in the Christmas lights…
But they need to be untangled,
Checked bulb by bulb,
put into place,
turned on…
There's magic in the cookies…
But ingredients need to be bought,
ovens need to be warmed,
recipes need to be followed,
treats need to be taste-tested…
There’s magic in each gift…
But lists need to be made,
And checked twice,
Items need to be chosen
And wrapped…
Placed under a tree…
It’s ALL magic…
And it doesn't just happen…
It’s made…
Just like how each year a miracle is celebrated…
But that very first Christmas…
That miracle…
Didn’t just happen either…
The magi didn’t just show up the night the star appeared…
It was a long awaited sign…
The trip took planning…
Time…
A journey…
Faith…
The shepherds didn’t just happen to be around…
They were working…
Tending…
“Glory, glad tidings, good news to all!”…
And yet…
Sheep still needed to be watched…
There’s still work to be done…
And the baby wasn’t just born…
No…
Months of waiting…
Growing…
Changing…
Mary losing parts of herself she would never get back…
A life she once knew…
Dreams she once had…
A sacrifice of love…
So the magic of Christmas isn’t necessarily magic at all…
It’s planning, it’s thoughtfulness,
it’s waiting, it’s work…
It’s love…
And yet…
that in and of itself IS magic…
In a world full of pain
that such light can still shine…
So really
it may be
a miracle after all