We knew it was coming.  We just didn’t know when.  Nor did we know if it would be good news or bad.

Short story long, I was told I needed a special medical test.  When I asked if it was really necessary, I was told it was.  (The situation is nothing truly horrible; but it is serious.  Severe sleep apnea.)

What I should have asked, apparently, is if my medical insurance would cover it.  I assumed the medical staff had checked on this important detail; evidently they hadn’t.  Maybe like me, they assumed our insurance would pay for it; they’re normally very reliable about coverage.  (Had I been aware that insurance would not, I would have refused the test.)

All of which led to the shocking notification that we owed the hospital thousands of dollars for the prescribed “in-hospital sleep study.”  That’s thousands of dollars that aren’t actually within our means to pay at the moment.

Fortunately, there was an avenue to appeal the insurance company decision.  So I prayed about it, wrote the best appeal letter I could write, and submitted it to the insurance company.  They acknowledged the appeal and informed me they would send their decision via standard mail.

That was several months ago.  A few days ago – exactly two weeks from Christmas – the response arrived via the U.S. Postal Service.  The return address was our insurance company’s “grievances and appeals division.” I knew immediately what it was.  I said another prayer, held my breath, and opened the envelope. 

“Denied.” 

Of course, they elaborated much more than that, and did so in polite fashion.  But the answer was still the same: “denied.”

Bah, humbug!  What a lousy way to enter the final few weeks before Christmas!

Of course, literally the day before the decision arrived in our mailbox, I had “splurged” on probably the largest Christmas present for my wife I have ever purchased. (It wasn’t even a thousand dollars, but it was hundreds.) She had endured a challenging year and I wanted to surprise her with a special gift.  (Thankfully, she was surprised, and she loved it!)  

Nevertheless, we were both aware of the “denied” notification which had just been delivered. 

Double bah, humbug!

Perhaps you have your own challenges in these days approaching Christmas?  None of us floats  through life unencumbered with difficulties.  “Bah humbugs” can arrive in a multitude of fashions.  Satan loves to bring them, and delights in attempting to undermine our Christian and Christmas joy.

Unfortunately, too often he is successful in his endeavors.

The message the angel brought to Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather, is a message for you and me as well.  Joseph realized that Mary, his fiancée, was pregnant.  He also knew with complete confidence that he was NOT the father.  Consequently, he decided to quietly break off the engagement.

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:20-21)

To which, Matthew adds this commentary: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ^‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,’ (which means “God with us”).” (Matthew 1:22-23)

No matter the seriousness of our other problems, our most serious problem has always been our sin, and the need for atonement for that sin.  The Spirit-conceived Baby inside Mary was God-sent – and God himself! – sent to make the atonement that only the holy God could make!  As promised by the angel, “He will save his people from their sins.”  And Jesus has!

That takes the “bah humbug” out of all our other bah humbugs.  Because of Jesus, we are freely and fully forgiven by the Lord.

A Savior from our sins is astounding and exhilarating enough.  But Jesus is even more than “just” God come to earth to be our Savior.  He is also God here on earth even now; He is Immanuel, “God with us.” 

Which means we are not facing our problems and hardships alone.  Immanuel himself is with us!  Even if he doesn’t solve them for us, (which he often does!), he will help us through them.

All of which replaces our “bah humbugs” with the “good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10).  In fact, it allows us – moves us! – to join wholeheartedly with the angels’ refrain, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:10).

Problems?  Difficulties?  Bah humbug to them!  Jesus was born for you and me!  Both to save us … and to be with us. 

This glorious truth changes everything – our perspective, our attitude, our heart, our life!  It makes Christmas wonderful, despite the sometimes less than wonderful frustrations we endure in our lives.

Thank you, Lord, for hope, help, and happiness!  Thank you for Christmas.