A baby can change everything

In her April 30, 2024, “Our Daily Bread” devotional, Xochitl Dixon wrote about her son, Xavier. She recalled how when he was in kindergarten he stretched his arms as wide as they would go and said, “I love you this much.” His mother, would stretch her adult arms wider and say, “I love you this much.”

The 5-year-old would plant his fists on his hips and proclaim, “I loved you first.” His mom would shake her head and explain that she had loved him when God placed him in her womb, even before he was born. Xavier’s eyes would open wide, and he would admit defeat, saying, “You win.” Then she explained how they had each won, saying, “Jesus loved both of us first.”

Xochitl wrote that when she composed her devotional, Xavier was preparing for the birth of his first child, her grandson. She prayed he would “enjoy trying to out-love his son as they made sweet memories.” As she prepared to be a grandmother, she was amazed by the intensity of love she had felt for her grandchild from the moment Xavier and his wife told the family they were expecting. Babies can restore hope and prompt us to love more than we imagine possible.

I understand this reality. My brother died three years ago this week. Soon after his death, my daughter, Cassie, announced she was pregnant. Like Xochitl, I was amazed by how much I immediately loved the promised little one. Though my grandson Juliano would not arrive for several months, the announcement of his coming birth sparked hope in my heart, which helped dispel some of the sadness I felt following my brother’s death. I learned that a baby can change everything.

This is what we celebrate at Christmas: that a baby can bring life-changing hope. Here is how scripture describes Jesus’ remarkable birth, “…the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!’” (Luke 2:10-11, NLT, my emphasis)

While nearly everyone loves the traditions that are part of the season, Christmas is ultimately about the Baby and how his birth brings “great joy to all people.” In a world filled with frustration, stress, and hopelessness, we desperately need the good news of how God loved the world so much that he sent his son to offer us hope. May we not become so caught up in the season’s trappings that we miss the joy the birth of God’s son offers each of us.