At Home for this Holiday

Just over two weeks ago, my college son texted me an audio file…. It was simply a recording of him playing the piano.  There weren’t any words, but the tune conveyed his message. “There’s No Place like Home for the Holidays.”
 
And a couple days ago, my youngest daughter asked to hear TobyMac singing “Bring on the Holidays.”  We looked it up on youtube and watched it together and within five minutes I was all teary-eyed. 

(Try it for yourself by watching here.)
 
All of December, I’ve been trying to mentally solve a riddle.  Why on earth would ANYONE want to come to a place that is littered with dirty socks and nerf gun darts and bins full of hand-me-down clothes and people who sometimes rub you the wrong way?  It certainly isn’t to seek peace on earth – not here. 
 
So what is it about HOME that causes people everywhere to go to great lengths (often MUCH trouble, inconvenience, and expense) to be able to share Christmas together?
 
I haven’t completely solved that riddle yet.  I think it goes beyond FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out); I think it stems from a deep desire to truly be with the ones that we love – to share the joy of memories of Christmas Past, and to make new memories in Christmas Present.
 
And somehow, we are more likely to set aside our differences and arguments during this holy season.  Which, in turn, causes all the family members to be more likely to enjoy each others’ company. 
 
My job for today is to help our home be a little more ready for our Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow night.  And to enjoy the moments of togetherness as we have all six kids back under one roof this Christmas.  Home – where my heart is for these holidays.
 
May you be similarly blessed this Christmas season as we remember the birth of Jesus, our Savior.