While talking about our upcoming family holiday gatherings, my twenty-one year old said, “Christmas just isn’t the same.” I knew immediately what he meant. He’s been transitioning from youth to adult over the last few years. I remember those years, when you lose a little of the magic of Christmas until you have kids of your own and see it through their eyes.

I remember the magic of his first Christmas and all the things I couldn’t wait to do with him and for him so that I could see the wonder in his big brown eyes. And now, even though he’s grown, my momma heart still longs to see his eyes light up like the lights on the tree or twinkle like Saint Nick’s in that famous old poem.

The problem is that I don’t know how to keep the magic alive for him. I’m trying. Instead of getting a full list of his wishes, I’ve gotten some things that will be surprises – hopefully good ones. I’m working with my cousin to revamp the family gift exchange into a game that will – again hopefully – engage all the kids, young and old. We’ll do the usual things – decorate the tree, drive around looking at lights, bake cookies, watch movies, wait for Santa… We’ll go to the Christmas Eve candlelight service. We’ll read Luke 2. We’ll celebrate the birth of our Savior…

But what if he needs something beyond what I can do? What if it really is just part of growing up? What if it’s a heart issue or a mindset? All the activities in the world and all the gifts in all the stores won’t give my son the real stuff of Christmas – the peace, love, and joy that came from God on high when He made His one and only son “flesh to dwell among us” (John 1:14) and gave Him as a gift of eternal life to the world (John 3:16).

I can’t even fault my just-turned-adult son if he feels some discouragement or bah-humbug in this life. In my twenty-four years of adulting, I’ve had numerous years when the holidays were overshadowed by death, divorce, financial struggles, heartache, pain; when I went through the motions for the kids but my heart was bluh or my spirit downcast. It’s the consequence of living in a fallen world. Maybe becoming an adult opens your eyes to that and takes away some of the shine from life, even from Christmas unless we make a determined effort to remember the true gifts that came to us that day in Bethlehem.

Christmas was just the start. Victory, power, and peace came later at Calvary, when Jesus died to conquer sin and make right all that sin had made wrong. That same power was the gift that Jesus himself said was better than His presence on Earth. Emmanuel – God with us – remains with us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Talk about magic! God’s power put magicians to shame in the Bible, and He gave that to us….

So I guess that along with my material efforts to make my son’s eyes light up, I’m going to pray for the intangible things. The things I can’t give him, no matter how my momma heart longs to do it all. I will always want my children to have the best in life, but some things can only come from the Father. I’ll pray for Jack to know God’s presence and feel the power of His spirit more than ever. I’ll pray for the Light of the World to brighten all of his days. I’ll pray for his heart to be overwhelmed by our loving God. And I’ll pray for him to know such joy that all of life feels a little like Christmas magic.