12 Days of Christmas: Christ’s Birth Says It All by Becky Van Vleet
Christ’s Birth Says It All
Have we settled down from the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, card giving, cookie baking, children’s school programs, busy stores, family gatherings, and everything in-between, now that Christmas is over?
Or is it over?
No, not really.
Now we can enjoy the 12 Days of Christmas, December 26 to January 6, and hopefully our lives have slowed down a bit as we reflect on Christ’s birth to the Epiphany, celebrated on January 6 as the day when the manifestation of Christ’s glory was realized.
Sometimes people struggle with a letdown, even depression, after Christmas. Energy levels change and anxiety ramps up with how to pay the charge card. Post-holiday blues of emptiness frequently follow the intense rush of Christmas. But the 12 Days of Christmas, often overlooked, can provide a much-needed calmness and an even richer reflection of the reason for the season. No hustle and bustle involved, no big plans to make, just a wondrous down-time of thanksgiving of God’s promise to deliver His Son in the form of a baby for our salvation.
As we enter into a new calendar year, we can be thankful we serve a God who is unequivocally faithful with ALL of His promises. Whether we find ourselves on top of the mountain or in the deepest valley in 2024, we have God’s promises of infinite love and an endless supply of grace.
His promises are not reliant upon our age, socio-economic status, race, education, what kind of car we drive or our jobs. God blankets all of us, His children, with exceedingly great and precious promises (2Peter 1:4 NKJV) to demonstrate His power and sustain our faith. All we have to do is embrace His promises by believing and trusting.
And that little baby in the manger? The promise of his birth says it all. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV).
And speaking of promises, I made a promise to my father, Walter Troyan, in 1990. I recorded his WWII experiences, battles, and adventures as a teenager aboard his cruiser ship, the USS Denver. I promised him I would preserve his stories for our family history. Fast forward more than thirty years, I kept my promise when I decided to go beyond our own family–in the form of a book for anyone to read! I am pleased to share that my novel, Unintended Hero, a true story inspired by my father’s firsthand WWII accounts, is now available for purchase at Amazon. I would be honored for you to read it.
Purchase link: https://amzn.to/47p4k2y
Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal and award-winning multi-genre author. She has been published in Guideposts, The Country Register, Christian Devotions Ministry, Lighthouse Academy, and more. Her children’s picture books are the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Editing award as well as the Purple Dragonfly award in 2020 and 2021. Becky is the author of Unintended Hero, a true story about her father’s battles, experiences, and adventures in WWII aboard the USS Denver. She is passionate about sharing the values from the Greatest Generation and is frequently booked as a guest speaker for high school classes about patriotism. Her debut devotional, What’s in Your Purse? is now available. A member of ACFW, Allauthor, and Shepherd for Authors, Becky has devoted her website to creating and preserving family memories and sharing family stories for the next generations through her monthly blogs. You can find her at: https://beckyvanvleet.com.