We all know the Christmas Story, but these last couple of years, as I have read it, it got me thinking a little differently. We know the story; we read it over, and over again each Christmas, but how often does the awe and wonder of this miraculous event get lost because of its familiarity? Not something we intentionally mean to allow, but because we know the story so well, I wonder, do the words that we read sometimes just become words without allowing ourselves to really experience in our hearts the awe and wonder of that glorious night…the night Jesus our Savior was born?
My first thoughts were of Joseph and Mary as they traveled to Bethlehem only to find there was no room for them in the Inn, causing Jesus, the Son of God to be born in a stable, not the most elegant accommodations for the soon to be born King and Savior of the World. As we look at the world around us, we see the world has no room for Jesus either, and sadly that has become a more common thought process, and especially at Christmas. I wondered about the Inn of my own heart and how often I fail to make room for Jesus, allowing the distractions of the world to take the space that should be reserved for Him, not only at Christmas but in my day-to-day life. My heart breaks when I think how many times, because I have become too familiar with the story, that I forget the awe and wonder of what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus and to spend time in His presence and because of that, I allow the things of this world to take His space in the Inn, causing Him to be pushed back to the stable.
As I celebrate Christmas this year, and look forward to a New Year, one filled with amazing possibilities and opportunities, I want to always have room in the Inn of my heart with Jesus having priority and not let outside influences and distractions of the world take precedence. What about you? Pondering this I realized it is all about perspective and intentionality (my word for 2026) and how, if we purposely and truly “gaze” with eyes wide open, at the glory of God through the birth of Jesus and the events surrounding His birth, the awe and wonder will fill our hearts not only at Christmas time but in all of the routine events that occur in our lives every day of the year.
Picture yourself as a shepherd living in the fields, watching over a flock…not a glamorous job, or one highly regarded by “society”, but one of great importance; to care for the sheep. It’s dark and probably cold, and you may be tired from tending to your sheep all day, when suddenly, “an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid” (Luke 2: 9). Fear…that’s what they felt, and probably what each of us would feel at first also. But then they hear, “Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people; for there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10,11). The angel tells them of the sign and how to find this Savior and suddenly, there was a multitude of angels lighting up the sky above them praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14). WOW! What are you thinking now? Can you even begin to imagine being in this scene? Shepherds, who were considered the lowest of the low in the culture of that day, totally insignificant in the eyes of their fellow man, it was to them first, that God chose to reveal the birth of the Savior of the world! Think of the glory, the awe and wonder that has just filled the skies above these lowly shepherds and you as you immerse yourself in this setting…God has announced the birth of The Savior…can you picture it?
Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world has just been born and is lying in a manger…the shepherds rush to see…and you are there with them…imagine seeing the newborn king…God in the flesh, lying there in front of you…what must your heart be feeling now? Think about it…the awe and wonder of this miraculous event…the incarnation of God! The shepherds didn’t know the whole story, but we do and that’s what makes it even more spectacular…they saw a baby, who was called the “Savior of the World”, but can they even comprehend that? We know that baby named Jesus was God in the flesh come to live and dwell among us. Jesus Christ, both God and Man lying there right in front of us…gaze at the reality of this event with awe and wonder!
What must Mary have been thinking as she held this little baby, could she truly fathom that in her arms was God in the flesh? Did she even comprehend that when she looked at the face of this tiny baby that she was looking at the face of God? I can only imagine. To think that she, among all young women had been chosen by God to carry His Son, who is the Savior of the world, what an honor and a privilege. Thinking back to what the angel said to her, “Rejoice highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women” (Luke 1:28), and (Luke 1:30b) “Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God”.
“You have found favor with God”! Don’t you want to hear those words said by God? I do!! Mary wasn’t any more special than you or me, but one thing that stood out about her was that she was totally surrendered and completely submissive to whatever God asked of her, even though she knew the consequences of her decision would be great… her response to the angel Gabriel was “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word”. (Luke 1:38).
Although it may not be as spectacular as the plan God chose for Mary, He has a plan for each of us, a plan that will reveal His glory thru us IF we, like Mary are willing to surrender our hearts, our lives, our will, to HIS WILL and to be completely submissive to whatever God askes of us; to say as Mary did, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word”. Awe and wonder can come thru the smallest of acts IF they are done in obedience to what God has ordained.
The wise men heard about the birth of the One who would be called the “King of the Jews” and they saw His star… Jesus, the Light of the World, the One who had come to save the world from the darkness of sin, His star illuminating the sky for all to see with a brilliance like no other. Think about that…. JESUS IS, the light that breaks through thru the darkness, and His Light still shines brightly for all to see, IF you, like the wise men CHOOSE to follow the light. Their journey wasn’t always easy, and it took a long time, but they were determined to find the source of that light…the Savior and when they did, everything else around them faded away. All they could see was Jesus…they fell to their knees and worshipped Him.
Put yourself in that place…think about your own journey, the one that brought you to the place where you first met Jesus and the awe and wonder that filled your heart at that first encounter. As we celebrate Christmas this year, may that awe and wonder fill your heart once more as you allow all the “Christmas trappings” to fade into the background and you focus as they did, only on Jesus, The Savior of the world, your Savior and worship Him who is the Reason for the Season…JESUS!
The awe and wonder that my heart felt once again as I read the Christmas Story with new and fresh eyes doesn’t have to be something we experience only at Christmas time…the awe and wonder of Jesus is something that we can carry in our hearts every day of the year IF we will only open our eyes to truly see, and “gaze at His Glory” without allowing the familiarity to cloud our vision.
May God richly bless each of you and your families this Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
-Debbie Dorman
KINGDOM LIFE AZ 
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