Jesus left heaven. He left it all for our sake, for mine, for yours. He left the glory and the splendor and the holiness behind and found himself in a dirty manager built for animals. Found himself being raised by two parent's who had no idea on how to raise the Son of God. Found Himself being praised by the shepherds. Found Himself emerged in the darkness and sin. He found Himself walking down roads pharisees forbid, because that's the road where the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the wicked ones lived. That's the place where Jesus found His joy, were people shared this joy. Where He could longed to reach them, because they most likely didn't have everything figured out in life, and somehow, He knew their pain. He knew. This man who the pharisees though crazy because He claimed to be the Son of God, the man who walked the streets healing and praying. He knew. Because He knew, they wanted more of Him. Because He understood they celebrated with Him. Because He knew, they loved Him. He was only a man, a man they could relate to, but somehow He was also more than a man. He was everything. Because He was everything they cried as He died, as He finally left this dark world for 3 days. But because He was everything, death couldn't have it's victory. For He was victorious. They saw. They believed. They rejoiced. Because He was victorious He left this world with a promise of His return for His chosen. Because He is victorious and glorious and understanding and beautiful and grace giving and love extending and willing to save our sinful heart, we celebrate this day. We celebrate a God who wasn't just born and buried in a tomb, we don't celebrate a fictitious God. We celebrate a God who wasn't just born on Christmas day, yes, hope was born that day, but a God is always and forever. A God who loves. A God who lives. A God who is glorious. And while today may not mark the exact day of His birth, we still remember, He loves us. He always has, even longer than the 2011 years. The thought of a love so big, so deep, so unending is hard to grasp with such feeble human minds. I will not only celebrate that day when the angels sang and the shepherds came and the wise men bowed and Mary bore a Son- I will not celebrate only one day a year. I will celebrate it every day as I rise from bed and realize my happiness, my peacefulness my love-it's all because of Him. He became small enough to be the Savior of the world.