From the sunroom in the mornings, we sometimes see one or both of the two cats our neighbor has been feeding. Both are tabby cats, one male and one female. We nicknamed the male Tommy and the female Bobbie because she has a bobbed tail. They seem to like to find a sunny spot during these cold days.

This morning Bobbie was sitting beside the neighbor’s house, between two bushes. My husband looked and commented that he could barely see her when she was lying down because she was blending in with the bricks on the foundation of the house.

As I was writing this, I just turned around and looked and she had come back to the sunny spot. I had to use the zoom on my camera to see her clearly. The color of her coat blended with the color of the bricks. This can be one of the ways God provides protective camouflage for His creatures. The bricks may also be providing some warmth on this cold day.

During this Christmas season are we guilty of trying to blend in, instead of standing out, with the message and meaning of Christ’s birth. We may say “happy holidays” and tell ourselves it is the same as “happy Holy-days”. Or we get in a rush and write Xmas instead of Christmas, again telling ourselves that the “X” is really a symbol for the word “Christ”.

Sometimes we focus on the angels or the star, which are a part of God’s story, but we miss out on the main character—the Babe in the manger who is the Son of God.

Even our churches may want to blend with the world with their decorations or music. I saw one church that had a blow-up Santa Claus, and even in my church last Sunday, the pre-service music included “Let It Snow”. (During the service we did sing songs that honored Christ.)

As we go through this week, let us check up on ourselves—how we decorate, the music we listen to, even the shirts and sweaters we wear! We can use even the secular celebrations as a doorway to open talks with someone about the true meaning of “Christ”-mas. And don’t forget to say Merry Christmas every chance you get!!

Luke 2:11-12 (KJV)

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.