At Christmas He Came

AT CHRISTMAS HE CAME; THIS CHRISTMAS HE MUST COME AGAIN

--Rondi Aastrup/December 1989--

"Je dois aller."

People are always having to go away from me,

from each other,

from home, from work, from school, from play.

People are always having to go away from me (and I from them)

to other people and places.

"Je dois aller: I must go [the imperative].

I have other things claiming my life, my time.

You're not all there is to my life.

Important, yes. But not all.

Je dois aller."

There's nothing I can do to keep them from going;

They must.

And if I want them still in my life,

I, too, must--must accept, must acquiesce, must not pout or complain.

Ils doivent aller. Et je dois accepter.

"Je dois venir encore." There's another who must, too.

"I must come again" He says.

There's a difference, though.

Those who must go, can go as they need.

But those who must come, must have an invitation;

they cannot come just because they must.

Not only must He come, but He must wait.

Wait for you, for me--for us--to be ready.

To be willing. To be open.

And to invite Him to come.

"Je dois venir.

I need to come. It is necessary.

There is nothing else claiming My life, My time.

You're all there is to My life.

You're important, yes. And everything.

But I can't come without an invitation.

I can ask, but I can't just come.

And yet, I must. Je dois venir."

Christmas: celebrating the coming of Christ--the first time.

But should it not be something more?

Must we not also anticipate His Second Coming?

Must we not prepare for--and invite--Him to come back?

The goings in our life, we have no control over.

But the comings, those we do.

"Je dois venir encore," He says.

This Christmas, let it be "Tu dois venir--You must come."