Meditation on a recent day in December: Father God, thank you for this routine day that has been sprinkled with Immanuel. Christmas is in the air and that filled this rather nondescript and routine day with little delights. 

I suspect that that is how all of life is meant to be lived when Immanuel is with us. 

And I suspect the reason this doesn’t happen all year is that January through November we are more like the Innkeeper who had no room for Jesus and in December we are like the shepherds who went to see him.   

• The ONE THING for today: Father God, I commit to not losing the wonder of Immanuel—God with us in 2016 by making room for Him – even in the routine.