G
od gestates.
For nine long months, Divinity hovers over the waters of the womb, divides His own cells and pulls on skin.
A girl gently rubs her swelling abdomen. She waits. She prays. She stretches.
God stirs within.
He moves her.
Then He who fills all space can no longer be contained and He lets go of the walls of her uterus, slides into air of this world. Does she weep when the umbilical cord is cut?
Christmas comes like Christ: in the wait of gestation.
The celebration of the Child doesn't begin the day of the birth. We celebrate the Child from the moment we become conscious His presence.
Like a mother longing for the holding of the Child:
1. We count the days.
~ The stockings are hung by the fire and each day we reach in for the day's verse. Our advent gatherings are peaceful, waiting times...
2. We think of His names.
~We read the names of Jesus from the Adorenaments in the evening candlelight and choose one of the adorenaments -- Shepherd, Living Water, The Door etc -- on the tree.
(Another devotional on the names of Jesus and Names of Jesus ornament inspiration)
3. We think of His-story, and all that has come before to fulfill the hope of His coming.
~ We read the story of Christ's coming all through Scripture and children happily get turns to hang that day's Jesse Tree ornaments on the tree. Throughout the weeks children quiz each other on the meaning of the ornaments, share the story of His Glorious Coming with visitors.
4. We prepare gifts for the Child.
~In our home, the gift-giving is solely for the Child on His birthday. And in giving to the least of these, we humbly give gifts to the Christ Child.
(*Updated: This is just for us in our home alone, a long-ago decision made by the children themselves. Some extended family ask that there be gifts and we happily honor that exchange of gifts as a way to honor them and relationship. Also, we annually make gifts for neighbors and friends, as a way of reaching out and sharing the glorious good news of His birth! Gift-giving is all joy that we too embrace -- we quietly practice things a bit different for our own family, but that doesn't effect those outside of our family.)
For us, two weeks before Christmas, children gather catalogs and each day until Christmas, as a family we select one gift for the Babe -- perhaps a package of seeds for a family, a chicken, a mosquito net.
Our Alternative-Gift catalogs include:
Compassion Catalog,
Samaritan's Purse Catalog,
Partner's International Catalog,
World Vision Catalog,
Gospel for Asia Catalog, and
MCC Catalog.
Children giddily thumb the pages, see the real needs in the world, read over charitable possibilities, share ideas of good investments, and enthusiastically negotiate for that day's one gift. They meet the Child with child-like joy, giving to the hurting children of the world.
(Each day has a budget -- if they'd prefer a larger item from the gift catalogue, they may all choose to save up several days of selecting, to opt for the bigger item. Giving is wildly more fun than receiving!)
To read more of how our family only gives gifts to Jesus, our story is here: What Jesus wants for His Birthday 
Our gestational waiting days of December anticipate the Christ Child.
They stretch us. We grow anxious... weary.
But very God stirs within these days. In the stillness, we feel His movements.
And our hearts leap.
To read the entire series of spiritual practices
Next Week: Consider sharing in community: Finding Christ in Christmas: Where I've seen Jesus this Season... We look forward to your creative voice, ideas, thoughts!
Today, if you'd like to share: Christmas: How We Celebrate...just quietly slip in the direct URL to your exact post..... If you join us, might we humbly ask that you please help us find one another other by sharing the community's graphic within your post.
Photos: glimpses of waiting for the Christ Child here
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