A Christmas Wonder- One Gift Rewrote the Story

LOVE THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS. THE TWINKLING LIGHTS, THE QUIET SNOW, THE FAMILIAR SONGS THAT REMIND US OF HOPE, JOY, AND PROMISES KEPT. BUT EVEN MORE THAN THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS, WHAT CAPTURES MY HEART EVERY YEAR IS THE SHEER AUDACITY

OF GOD’S LOVE—RELENTLESS, UNTAMED, AND UNFAILING.

Think about it. The Creator of the universe— the One who holds galaxies in His hands— chose to come near. To be with us.

“All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.” (Matthew 1:22- 23 New Living Translation)

Listen to Kirsten and A Christmas Wonder

Not in a palace surrounded by power, but in an animal barn, born to a humble couple, wrapped in clothing scraps, lying where animals slept. Jesus, God Incarnate, chose to set aside His glory temporarily in the most outlandish expression of unconditional love (see Philippians 2:6-8 NLT).

Why? Because God loves us. Purely. Relentlessly. So completely that nothing could keep Him from pursuing us–not our doubts, our sins, our failures, or the brokenness in our hearts.

Pause with me to imagine that first Christmas night. Shepherds startled in the fields by angels declaring peace on earth. A baby, sleeping quietly, carrying the weight of God’s promise never to stop pursuing us. Joseph and Mary wondering at God's redirection of their lives.

Allow your God-given imagination to insert you into this night that changed the world and capture your heart and soul in awe and wonder.

Sweet sister, the love that caused God to enter our world in flesh is the same love that pursues us today. The same love that whispers comfort in our sorrow, hope when we feel lost, and joy in the ordinary, mundane moments of life. God’s relentless love doesn’t wait for us to get our act together. It doesn’t depend on us being worthy. It depends on God’s unending, unwavering, and utterly astounding grace and mercy.

There’s a joy in recognizing this truth. Joy that says, “I am known. I am seen. I am loved.”

Not because I earned it, but because God chose it. That joy bubbles up when I consider

the magnitude of His love—the same love that stooped to cradle a newborn, tender and

fragile, in a place of humility and quiet, so that the world might know hope.

I often think about the everyday miracles of His love. The star-strewn night sky, the quiet moments of laughter, or the comfort of a hug that says, you are not alone. These are whispers of the relentless God who refuses to leave us in our brokenness, who delights in us as His own, and whose joy is made complete in our delight in Him.

Christmas invites us to wonder—not just at the twinkle of lights or the sparkle of snow, but at the love that chased us down through the ages, the love that humbled Himself to be born in a barn so that we could know Him, touch Him, and live in His embrace. This is the heart of joy: knowing that the God of all creation celebrates us, pursues us, and calls us His own (see Isaiah 43:1 NLT).

God’s love pursues you relentlessly, not just at Christmas. The baby in the manger grows into the Savior on the cross, the Risen One who defeats death, the King who walks alongside us, and the Friend who will never let us go. The wonder isn’t just that God came near once; it’s that He never stops coming near, every single day of our lives.

This holiday season, I invite you to pause and lean into that wonder. Let it sink in that the God of the universe–the same One who sculpted stars and breathed life into the mountains–stooped down in love to dwell among us. Let your heart marvel at the humility, the grace, and the relentless pursuit of the Creator who says, “I will never stop loving you.”

As you sip your hot cocoa, unwrap gifts, sing familiar carols, or watch the twinkle of lights in the nighttime quiet, remind your soul of this unchanging truth: You are known. You are loved. You are held by a God who says, “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT).

And nothing—not the chaos of life, not the mistakes of the past, not the disappointments—can ever stop this God from loving you.

This Christmas, let your heart join the angels in wonder. Let it skip with joy like the shepherds on that first night. Let it kneel at the manger with gratitude, awe, and delight. God’s relentless love came near, and it never stops. And in that, there is joy that will not fade, hope that will not fail, and a wonder that will not cease.

Kirsten Samuel

Author: Kirsten D. Samuel is a Christ-centered coach who helps women encounter God’s relentless love and find hope after marital betrayal, sharing from her and her husband’s journey of marital redemption. Featured on Focus on the Family, she invites women to embrace healing, grace, and God’s faithfulness. Connect at KirstenDSamuel.com or YT.