For many, Christmas is an exciting time of year. We get together with friends and family. For kids, they get presents. But for some, Christmas and the holiday season is stressful and difficult. It can be an opportunity to dwell on the past, and to think about unmet expectations. Unfortunately, spending time thinking about all the things that aren’t going right is not a recipe for a Merry Christmas.
There is a parallel here in the Holy Family. I am sure that Joseph and Mary did not expect that having the Savior meant traveling to Bethlehem from Nazareth when Mary was at the end of her pregnancy. She probably did not expect to give birth in a manger. Nor did she expect to have to flee to Egypt to escape a murderous tyrant. How could God allow things to be so difficult for the parents of His Son, the Messiah, especially if he wanted them to succeed?
Mary and Joseph found peace in the chaos because they tempered their expectations and allowed God to surprise them. If we approach Christmas with a trusting and open attitude to God’s Providence, we may find ourselves pleasantly surprised by something new and unexpected!