It comes just the same...

This morning I woke up pondering how we could possibly celebrate Christmas without Jeremy here. I’ve been up since 4:00, so I’ve had plenty of time to think about it. And this quote, which is one of my favorites, came to mind:

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. " -- Dr. Seuss

I realized that, no matter how noble the thought, Christmas isn’t about family. Nor is it about parties, food, cards, gifts, or any of the other trappings of the season. It is about the birth of our Savior. And it will come, even if my husband is in Iraq. And it has just as much meaning, even if Jeremy does miss Lucy’s first Christmas. Yes, I wish Jeremy was here to share this with us, but he is not and it makes no difference to Christmas. It comes just the same. And what a blessing that is. Regardless of our personal struggles, Christmas will come each year, reminding us that hope came to us in the form of a little baby. So, this Christmas, I have hope that God will see me through this deployment and help me keep perspective on what Christmas is about. After all, this isn't our birthday (see, John & Betty, I was listening at church on Sunday) -- we are celebrating Christ's birthday. I can praise God for his gift here and Jeremy can praise God for his gift in Iraq. And all the other stuff really doesn't matter.