And perhaps more of us ought to try to experience Christmas more like children. Most of the adults that I know tend to be impatient for Christmas to be over, more than they’re impatient for Christmas to arrive. Most of the adults that I know can’t stand to hear another Christmas carol about this time of year. Most adults aren’t anxiously waiting for something truly surprising and magical and mystical to happen on December 25. We’re just waiting for the bills to come in and the rush of the holiday season to let up a bit. On the other hand, most of the children that I know are barely able to contain themselves this time of year. Teacher’s can’t keep their students’ attention in class because the children’s minds keep wandering back to the hopes of Christmas. Most of the children I know can’t wait for Christmas to arrive for all the good things it brings, for the presents and the candy and the surprises. And perhaps that’s truer to the spirit of Christmas. It’s the magic and the surprises and the expectation of marvelous things yet to arrive that ought to shape our experience of Christmas. More of us ought to anticipate Christmas like most kids do: with exited anticipation, expecting something magical and fantastic.

It’s probably a good thing that Mary was quite young when she found out that she was pregnant. Those Christians who call for a return to a soundly biblical perspective on the family would do well to remember that in Mary’s day girls were engaged and married off by the age of thirteen or fourteen. Mary was still just a girl when she found out that she was pregnant before she and her fiancé had yet married. Perhaps that’s why she appeared to take the news of her pregnancy so well. She was still enough of a child to not let her adult worries overshadow the joyous miracle and promises to come. Luke tells us that Mary broke out into song when she considered the miracle of life growing inside her. She sang one of the most beautiful pieces of poetry and prophecy in the bible. From the version called the Cottonpatch Bible, Mary sang,

"My soul exalts the Lord

And my heart exults before God my Savior.
For he has disregarded my humble origin,
And from now on the ages will honor me.
Great things the Almighty did for me,
And Holy be his name.
From generation to generation
His mercy showers those who fear him.
With his strong arm
He scatters the big boys
Who think they’re somebody.
He pulls thrones from under the royalty
And gives dignity to the lowly.
He loads the hungry with good things
But the rich he lets go with nothing at all.
Mindful of mercy, he gives a lift to his people
Just as he promised our fathers -
Abraham our father and his many descendants."

With childlike excitement, Mary expected wonderful, magical and mystical things to come with the birth of her child. It’s probably a good thing that she was so young, so that her adult worries didn’t completely spoil her joyful anticipation of the birth of Jesus.

What is it that can keep us up at night this time of year? Is it the bills and the unmet expectations and the sadness that holidays bring to so many people? There are a lot of adults who find it hard to get a restful night sleep this time of year, with their adult worries that won’t let their minds rest at night. But not being able to sleep at night isn’t necessarily always a bad thing. If we’re going to have trouble sleeping, let’s have trouble falling to sleep for better reasons than all those adult worries about what we don’t have. Let’s have trouble falling to sleep because we expect to find wonderful things waiting for us in the morning. Let’s lie awake pondering all the good things that are yet to come, like presents and family and good things to eat. Let’s be a little more like children, whom Jesus told us we need to be more like in order to understand the glorious mysteries of God.

No matter how old you are, don’t let your adult concerns spoil your anxious anticipation of Christmas. No matter how old you are, indulge the child inside of you who’s a little over-stimulated this time of year. Allow yourself to be swept away by the mystery of surprises and promises and the hope for things to come. Amen.