A Prayer for Children to See the Beauty of Jesus in Christmas'
By Chris Eyte
Bible Reading:
"He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted."
- Isaiah 53:2-4
Listen or Read Below:
I walked through a festive tunnel with my three little children, and they marveled at the gaudy Santa Claus illustrations on the walls of the indoor market in the old town hall. The usual stalls selling all manner of goods: clothes, games, meat, and groceries were all bedecked with tinsel and strident colors of red, white, and gold. I tried to jolly the kids up as we walked around but inside a hidden part of me was grieving. It was awful. I felt very alone - my wife had been unwell for a long time and was in hospital. I was effectively a single parent for some months and it was just so difficult. How can you keep up the so-called magic of Christmas for children when there is no other adult to bounce off? When they are missing their mom or dad?
Looking back, it was a grueling experience, and I am so glad she got better. But it also made me really admire permanently single parents who deal with that sense of loneliness all the time. They are absolute heroes, keeping up the responsibility of parenting without a co-pilot. I think they are amazing. I believe God thinks that way, too. It is in such times of loneliness, in all kinds of contexts, that the beauty of Jesus in Christmas becomes real for children. Our job, whether these youngsters are our own offspring, nephews and nieces, sons and daughters of friends, or from the Sunday School in church, is simply to guide them into knowing that God is dependable. He is really there and cares for them.
The Lord is not so much a co-pilot, more of the captain of the boat - steering the vessel through choppy waters, seemingly out of sight but very evident in his presence and guidance. And for children, that's what really matters. The Santa moments and the gifts, the baubles, and the snowflake decor - it's all momentary in comparison to knowing Jesus is 100 percent there and God-is-love is trustworthy and reliable. Kids need to know they are loved beyond all else. For them, that's all that really matters, and from God, that's what He really and thankfully offers.
That's the wonder of Jesus on Christmas Day and every day. It's beautiful!
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, Thank you for the beauty of Jesus at Christmas. And thank you that we can celebrate that every day. Your love is THE gift for me and the children in my life. Help us all to see that clearly, to open our hearts to the reality of it, and in turn show kindness to others so that they, too, will know they are dearly loved. Adult and child alike, by you, the Holy Creator. Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/maximkabb
Christopher Eyte lives with his wife Céline and three children in Swansea, Wales, UK. He has worked as a journalist for many years and writes his own blog (hislovefrees.life) encouraging others in their walk with Jesus. He became a Christian in February 2002, after a friend explained God's amazing grace!
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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