Christmas 2023
Psalm 133:1
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
This year, my family spent Christmas at my in-laws. Visiting their house is always a good time. It's a nice, simple home in a quiet, Connecticut neighborhood. My mother-in-law is an excellent cook, and the smell of her cooking wafts through the house. My father-in-law pulls out his guitar and strums a tune in the background for everyone to listen to. Joy and her sister catch up, while doing each other's make-up. And our three kids run around the house, laughing, playing with toys they don't usually get to play with.
This year, however, Christmas at my in-laws was even a bit more special than usual. Joy's cousin Paul would be visiting from Florida, along with his wife. They are both around my age - mid-thirties - and had gotten recently married.
On Christmas Eve, we all sat down to eat chicken parmesan. It was one of those situations where the dining room table couldn’t fit everyone. So we set up a folding table in the kitchen and some people ate there. It was nice talking to Paul and his wife, hearing about their wedding. (It was held in South Korea). It was a time of telling stories.
After dinner, we gathered in the living room and sang Christmas hymns. People drank tea, and we passed around chocolate covered pretzels. Eventually it was getting late, and it was time to go to bed. We all headed upstairs and nestled into our respective bedrooms.
The next morning we did the traditional Christmas celebration: opening Christmas presents under the tree. The kids loved that. Then we all sat down to eat rib roast.
At one point in the day, Joy's mom said to her, "Oh Joy, I liked this. The house feels so...full."
And it's true. The bedrooms were packed. The dining room was full. In the living room, people had to sit on the floor. It was a warm, cozy, full house.
As we all enjoyed that Christmas day together, I looked at my children scampering around. My kids are still so young. But I envisioned them growing up, getting married, having children of their own, and having their families come over for the holidays. The thought of having more gatherings like this in the future made me hopeful.
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
The reason I’m writing this short story is not just to share a fond memory, but also to admonish us. Sadly, many couples today are deliberately not having children. Allow me to remind us that the decisions we make today shape our tomorrow. A couple can avoid having children while they're young - so they can focus on themselves, advance their career, save up money, etc. - but the final destination of that decision is just a large home with few people inside it.
Luke 6:48
He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
If you desire a full house of your own one day, you have to start laying the foundation for that house now, while you’re young. And you may have to make some decisions that are counter-cultural in order to do so. But trust me when I say, when you grow old, you will not regret it.
