How do you spend your Christmas Eve? Maybe finishing up some last-minute wrapping or preparing for the next day's big meal. Maybe enjoying time with family or watching the snow fall outside. I'm sure some of you go to a candlelit service at church and meditate on all that Christ's coming to earth means for us.
When I lived in Cote d'Ivoire, most people in my city went on with life as usual on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. No Christmas trees or stockings hung by the fire place (never mind that they don't have fire places). No wrapped gifts or falling snow. I was encouraged to find that though the world went on around them, many of the Christians in Cote d'Ivoire celebrated Christ's birth, even without all the typical things that we Americans associate with Christmas. Many of them spent Christmas Eve at an all night prayer and praise time at their churches. All night they thanked God for sending His Son and praised Him.
I pray that Beng Christians will spend this Christmas in praise and thanksgiving for Jesus. And I pray that other Beng who are not Christians would take notice of their joyful celebration and wonder what it's all about, that many Beng Christians would have the opportunity to share with others the joy they have in Christ. Won't you pray with me?
Merry Christmas!
