O Holy Night

Though I have quite the fondness for academia, and I often find myself missing the classroom, there are some parts of being a student I do NOT miss. I have seen quite a few students come into Barnes and Noble bearing an armful of textbooks and slumping upstairs to the cafe for a long study session. I do not miss having award-winning bags under my eyes, nor do I miss having to go on a post-finals caffeine detox, nor do I miss the experience of shoving my brain full of information for hours at a time.
And I realized that (even though I am working WAY too much right now), being finals-free allows me much more mental space to dwell on the advent season. One of my favorite Christmas songs (which is technically an advent song), "O Come O Come Emmanuel" has been like a background track in my mind for the last couple weeks. I love that it is somber and monastic, yet expectant and jubilant. It reminds me to again seek and expect "God with Us" -- to desire His immanent presence and believe fully that it is given.
I have a friend who excuses his lack of holiday cheer by saying, "I celebrate the Incarnation year-round." I will be quick to acknowledge how right it is to celebrate the coming of Jesus in daily life, but an ingrained thankfulness for the gift of Jesus seems all the more reason to love this particular season. It deserves special, marked attention. Though I celebrate my marriage every day, I know that anniversaries will bring reflection and intentional communion.
I was driving to work the other day when I heard "O Holy Night" on the radio. If for no other reason, get excited about Christmas because theologically rich lyrics pervade the radio! I am always moved by that song, and I was in tears when I got to work. Here is just the first verse:

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

My favorite part? "For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn" ... Heck ya! Thank you, Jesus, for the inbreaking power of your love, for salvific power of your sacrifice, and the restorative power of your humility.
I hope that in these last few days before Christmas, you too get a chance to really engage the advent season and prepare your heart for the exuberance of Christ given to us! One last thought for you from Phillipians:

"[Jesus],who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."

Side note:
I have the best husband ever. I was having a terrible day on Friday, and couldn't shake my frustration and sadness that night. Josh asked, "Is there anything I can do to fix it?" My reply? "I want to break something." He responded with an "Ok" that seemed laced with my-wife-is-crazy undertones, and he left the room. Minutes later, he told me to come out to the living room. He had brought out all the little wooden boxes from our wedding centerpieces, laid them on the floor, and then procured a hammer. Mass destruction followed, until there was wood all over the apartment and we were both sitting on the floor laughing. I love him ... and I promise I am mentally stable.