Christmas dreams, the stuff of childhood excitement and adult stress. In 1997 Don Reid wrote the song, Christmas Dreams, Christmas Dreams is the name of a theme park located in - you guessed it - Christmas, Florida and who of us hasn't recited "The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads"?
Christmas is supposed to be about dreams, supposed to be about joy and generosity, supposed to be the ultimate happy holiday of the year.
Over the course of a lifetime the stuff of dreams changes for most of us: as a child I hoped for the treats that never materialized during any other season; as a teen I needed to feel accepted and secure; and as a young wife and mother my dreams consisted of a passionate longing that our family would love generously and serve God fervently. Now as a senior I find myself still praying that each of us will find our deepest satisfaction in living for the Christ of Christmas.
Seeking for new Christmas insights I found myself contemplating all the dreams Joseph dreamed. First, there was the night vision that calmed the chaos of his heart when he heard that Mary, his betrothed, was with child. Not his, he knew, but if not his, then whose? "Don't be afraid," the angel spoke. Several years later, following His birth and the visit from the Magi, God warned Joseph to flee to Egypt and finally, after Herod's death, God gave directions to settle in Nazareth to escape the tyranny of Archelaus. What better than to have Christmas dreams address the questions that perplex us most?
"The Lord appeared to him saying then Joseph being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded " (Matthew 1:20-25)
Hearing from God + obedience = a dream Christmas.
