more mighty than any other power

"Christmas Eve is my favorite time.  The trappings are fun, the holiday exciting, but more than that, I feel it has a significance not lost in the glitter, not really.

...it is good to remember that the carpenter's son was born, and taught, and died so long ago and yet is so alive, that we celebrate his birthday.   And what a miracle it is that down the centuries, in the midst of wars and destruction and famines and pestilence the spirit of this carpenter has proved more mighty than any other power for it grows and shines in our day as it did then.

Somehow I feel that at Christmas time, we may stop and look at God and let God look at us.  I think most mothers get tired during the Christmas rush. I do. There is always a low moment when I fervently wish it were just over and I could SIT DOWN. I wish it were August. And nothing at all going on.

And yet, when the children say 'Thank you for a wonderful Christmas, best we ever had,' and one child whispers, 'this was just all I wanted - how did you know?' and one child curls up to read the book you have chosen so carefully, and one says 'we never had such a Christmas,' suddenly then all the tiredness ebbs away, and a pure happiness floods in."

                                                     -  from Gladys Taber,  published in 1955.