Preparing for Christmas

On the road to Houston yesterday I got to listen to one of my favorite Christmas CDs. Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God. If you don't have this CD yet, buy it, download it, borrow it! I don't feel ready for Christmas until I have listened to this album. It is basically a storytelling through song about the coming of Jesus and birth of Jesus.
These songs have meant even more to me in light of the recent birth of our first son. Yesterday, we played Jesus, Mary and Joseph at our church's Christmas pageant. It was really emotional for me to think about what it must have been like for Mary to have gone through pregnancy and labor. One of the songs on this album is called 'Labor of Love' and is about Mary's giving birth to Jesus. I can't imagine how hard it must have been, how isolated and ostracized she must have felt, how scared Joseph must have been. I think I've seen the manger scenes for so long that the crudeness of the conditions didn't really sink in to me. It is really remarkable to think about Jesus' entry into the world, no wonder no one knew he was the King.
I hope you all enjoy this Christmas week and are able to take some time to ready your heart for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World!