We can’t ignore the Baby. So let’s talk about it.

It’s no secret that Christmas, while being full of cheer for some, can exasperate the grief of others. That’s why I love the Christmas carol that sings, “tidings of comfort and joy.” No one is excluded from celebrating Christmas. We can enter this week adding to the joy, or wearily ready for the comfort that He brings. 

For women with empty arms, the focus of “a baby” at Christmas time can be uncomfortable or difficult…adding to a sting that we are all too familiar with, but would rather not dwell on. 

Last Christmas, I discovered the Advent book, Rest: Advent in the Light of Christ after Pregnancy and Infant Loss. It tenderly met me where I was, celebrating a season with an empty womb instead of nearing my baby’s due date. 

Christmas is a tender time for many. As someone with empty arms, the constant reminder of a Holy Child (although true) can be taxing. 

We can’t ignore the Baby. So let’s talk about it. 

Stories of infertility are peppered throughout the Old and New Testaments. Longings unfilled. Lingering questions. Lamenting hearts. We have the advantage of reading the beginning and the end of these stories. To read in awe of God’s handiwork and orchestrating a divine plan that touched the lives of far more people than only the women longing to be mothers. 

The days leading up to Christmas are often referred to as Advent. And it’s a time where we not only reflect on the coming of Jesus as a baby, but remember the longing God’s people had for Emmanuel’s arrival. And now we long again for the return of our King. Christmas is not only marked by joy, but longing as well. 

And it’s ok if our Christmas is marked by longing as well. 

So when the focus is on “a Baby,” and if that’s a tender place to dwell, here is where I’m choosing to focus my heart and mind on… 

God coming in the form of a baby demonstrated humility. 

God coming in the form of a baby was the miracle of Emmanuel, God with us. 

God coming in the form of a baby brought us the Prince of Peace here on earth. 

Yes, Christmas emphasizes a Baby. But Christmas means so much more. 

Jesus had to come. And through God’s infinite wisdom, He came as a baby, and each Christmas we celebrate a birthday. 

We celebrate His birthday even if our own babies never had a birthday, or if our babies only had a couple of birthdays. 

And as much as we see the images of the baby in a manger, and sing about a sleeping baby, that’s really not the point. 

Infancy was but a brief moment in Jesus’ earthly life. Just as parents today say, “don’t blink” because babies grow so quickly. 

His birth was a cosmic battle cry. 

A moment that set into motion here on earth and in Heaven God’s redemptive plan. 

So as Christmas draws near, and I set out my own manger scene and sing carols about the Holy Child, here is where I’m choosing to focus my heart and mind on… 

May my focus be on Jesus’s demonstration of humility, coming as a baby. May I ask for Jesus’ help to follow in His humble footsteps. 

May my focus be on how deeply grateful I am that Emanuel, God with us, is now the Holy Spirit living inside of me. May I marvel each day at that miracle.

May my focus be on praising the Prince of Peace. May I be swift to bring Jesus’ peace, here on earth just as it is in Heaven. 

But I am human, and sometimes my focus wanders (hello, ADHD!). As I wrapped children’s gifts for my nephews, I did sigh, thinking I’m not gearing up for a baby’s first Christmas or first birthday. My arms do feel a little emptier. Until this year, I never knew how air could feel so heavy. 

If messages of “a baby” feel tender, know that you are not alone. I pray a friend will cross your path to link arms with you this Christmas. 

Jesus’ infant cry, a supernatural battle cry, pierced sorrow such as this. His miraculous birth began the countdown of thirty-three years. Not only making a way for redemption, but battling (and winning) against death and grief, longings and laments. The Savior, once a baby, loves us – and our babies – more than we will ever know. 

We can’t ignore the Baby. So let’s talk about it. 

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6