Nollaig Shona Agus & Ath Vhlian Faoi Mhaise Dhib

This strange title simply means 'Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you' in Irish.

I almost had to pinch myself today to see, if I was really back in Sharjah, at home, doing the normal stuff that I would on my day off. It feels so strange that my own place of birth does not feel like home any more.

When I landed at Abu Dhabi airport, I had to collect a visitor's visa and the officer asked me, "when will you leave the country?" I guess this is the bitter fact that I do not belong here, I do not belong anywhere, it was a reminder from the Lord that this world is not my home! On Christmas day when Jesus was born, I am sure He would have felt the same way and His visa was also valid for 33 years only!

With all the preparation for Christmas celebration, my heart is actually sad in more than one ways. As delighted as I am to be with my family and loved ones at this time and grateful that I live in a loving, safe environment, I am aware that there are many who are not enjoying the security that I have in other parts of the world. The security in Christ Jesus and in family members is precious. I am also wondering whether Jesus's family celebrated His birthday every year and even knew why was He living among them? I wonder whether his parents gave him gifts for his birthday for thirty three years and tried to make it special for Him every year? How did Jesus react, what did He have to say to them, did anyone realize that He was among them for a much more worthy cause ...... it is something like the world's situation today.

Sometimes we are so lost in our preparations to make everything special at Christmas that we forget the one who it is for. It's about Jesus, not about me, not about you but thank God that it is about Jesus, His birth, His death and resurrection! We are only 'Messangers' not the 'message'. We are the bearers of the goodnews and not 'the news'. This year I choose to be more unprepared for the worldly celebrations and prepare to spend quality time with Jesus Himself and seek to listen to His heart beat more than anything, to thank Him for coming into this 'strange' world which is not home, where there is no sense of belonging yet He spent quality time here and set an example for me that I can live just the way He did, Amen.

What about you my beloved, how will you celebrate Jesus this time?

Have a joyus Christmas and a blessed New year 2009.