Christmas this year has been interesting. I did some carroling on Oxford Street in London for the Training College, and also helped out Poplar Corps with carols at Canary Wharf and our local market. Christmas isn't Christmas with playing carols in a small band!
My thoughts have been centred around the less peaceful images of Christmas. Because Jesus was born (and Herod didn't want Him), a whole generation of babies were murdered in the hope that Herod had got the right baby. Another of these images in my mind is of Mary, the unmarried mother of the Christ child. Because of her obedience to God she became an outcast in society. Some sources even state that she ran the risk of being stoned to death because of being an unmarried mother. Why did God choose her if He knew that she would be put in such a position? It may be her willingness to obey God. Also, Prophecies state that the Messiah would be born of a Virgin.
And now onto the nice things about Christmas! Christmas day was spent at the Army doing all kinds of things. I totally loved the day. We had around 100 (or so Bram said) people. We ran out of tables in the main hall and so had to set one up in the lounge. I had loads of good, positive conversations with only one moan. Although my moan is that I was called "Major"! I'm not even out of College yet!
Then Boxing Day I went to my brothers house and spent some time with him, his wife, and my niece. I loved singing to her and making her smile.
The day after Bram and I went shopping with my Dad in Coalville town centre. It just seemed so surreal. It was like people had forgotten that Christmas had only been 2 days ago. Life went on as normal for them. Has Christmas changed me? In some ways it has, but I am being changed every day into what God wants me to be.
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