Waleryan Wisniewski

At this time of year, there is a noticeable change in the air. As we close the chapter on Thanksgiving and step into the Christmas season, something feels different — lighter, warmer, more hopeful. I love this season for so many reasons: the elementary school Christmas programs, the Powell Middle School and high school concerts, cutting down a Christmas tree with my family, the decorations and lights that fill our town, Christmas caroling, baking treats to share, and the lighted Christmas parade. Truly, it is a wonderful time of year. 

During this season, the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas seems to flow more freely into our hearts. We are more inclined to show love, patience, compassion and a willingness to serve. I often find myself wondering — why does this time of year feel so different? Why does the spirit of Christmas feel so strong and so real? 

I know that this Christmas spirit began many, many years ago. Long before the savior’s birth, the prophet Isaiah foretold his coming: 
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace,” says Isaiah 9:6. 

Later, angels appeared to both Mary and Joseph, declaring their sacred calling to parent the son of God. To Mary, the angel said, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus,” reads Luke 1:30–31. To Joseph, the angel declared, “Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost… and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins,” says Matthew 1:20–21. 

Mary and Joseph then made the long and difficult journey to Bethlehem. When they arrived, the city was full, and there was no room for them in the inn. Instead, they were given shelter in a stable. It was there, in that humble setting, that “she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn,” reads Luke 2:7. 

The greatest gift ever given to the world was born in a stable. Through this sacred act, God showed us perfect love, patience, compassion, and service by sending his only begotten son. 

Over the past few years, I have been searching for ways to let this season of gratitude and giving — this time of “lighting the world” with the savior’s light — become a year-round way of living. I want to carry the feelings of love, patience, compassion and service with me long after the Christmas decorations are put away. 

Yet I’ve come to realize how often I allow the busyness of life to get in the way. Have you ever noticed that opportunities to serve usually come at the most inconvenient times? They arrive when our schedules are full and our to-do lists are already overwhelming. Sometimes it’s a phone call about a sick family who needs a meal. Other times, it’s a quiet prompting to stop and talk with someone, visit a neighbor, run an errand, or help a family member with an unpleasant task. These moments rarely come when it is easy. 

In many ways, Bethlehem was much the same. The city was bustling with activity, filled with people focused on their own responsibilities and needs. There was no room — no time, no space — for Mary and Joseph that night. 

As I strive to serve — not only during the Christmas season, but throughout the entire year — my hope is that I will learn to slow down. I want to make room to serve as Jesus did. And as I make room for others, even when it doesn’t fit neatly into my schedule, I trust that I am also making room for him. 

 (Waleryan Wisniewski is the Powell 3rd Ward Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)