It is so easy to celebrate the birth of Christ by doing everything for others. We prepare our homes for our friends and families. We get the perfect gift for our loved ones. God, however, celebrates Christmas not by doing things for us, but by being with us. The gift of Christmas is that God, in Christ, is with us, and this is both hopeful and challenging. On the one hand, we have the hope that Christ is with us in life’s joys and sorrows, but God with us also serves as a challenge to be with one another. It is much more difficult to be with than to do things for. How might we recognize and celebrate God with us and live with those that God has place in our lives?