This past weekend, Rich and I went to Albany to be with Rich’s family for our family Christmas, AND for Logan Thomas’ baptism (he’s the little one I am holding in the picture).

As I look at the picture, it reminds me of the Christmas event, the infant Jesus who came into our world….so small, so helpless, so dependent on others and God, so open.

Celebrating Logan’s baptism was such a grace-filled moment.  To see him plunged into the waters of baptism, and emerge full of the Spirit!  To think that we experience that same plunging every Christmas when the Christ child comes again into our world and calls us to a simpler and deeper life.

As I held Logan, he reminded me of how we are to be vessels of the spirit, to make room for that spirit of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, relationships, life, and love!  As he would often move (probably to remove some bubble of gas or something else!), I was reminded that I need to do the same.

I need to move and make room in my heart, mind and soul for the spirit of Christmas that, once again, beckons me to a life of love, giving, and peace.  Too often in my 365 days around the sun, I forget these spiritual gifts that call me to make room for the presence of something sacred.

Today, December 24, is Christmas Eve.  The night before the beginning of something new in our world!  It was a world shaking and world defining event. So was our baptism.  So was Logan’s.

We are reminded on this day to prepare for that little presence of light, peace, love and spirit to enter into our being once again and renew us.

Maybe today, in preparation for tomorrow, we are called to purge all that gets in the way of our receiving this life-giving spirit.  Might this be a “house cleaning” day, not for dusting and cleaning the outside, but for the inside of each and every one of us. To clean out the cobwebs that have formed on our hearts, maybe in our minds, and so often in our relationships.  To clean up and see things more clearly. To wipe away the stuff that makes life cloudy and unrecognizable. To allow ourselves to rest, like Logan, in the pure comfort of the spirit and all the beautiful life around him. To see the love around and in us.

Christmas is a gift to each and everyone of us, if we just rest in the arms of love.