First Sunday of Christmas audio

The first time I remember hearing about postpartum depression was when a famous singer - someone who is my age and who I listened to when I was in high school - left her baby with the babysitter, got in her car and drove off with no real intention of ever coming back. Because she had a loving family and they didn't give up - she got the help she needed and worked through the depression. She noted what drove her away was when all the dreams and romanticism surrounding having children and being a family didn't happen the way it was supposed to. Being faced with the sinful reality of why God had to send His Son into our world is something the world tends to leave out during all the Christmas festivities. It's a complicated compartmentalization - with all the death and destruction on one side of the news and Santa and his elves on the other side. We work so hard at believing that if we get the right gifts - spend enough money - eat enough cookies - drink enough egg nog - all the bad stuff will just go away. And when it doesn't - the world settles into a severe postpartum depression - leaving the baby behind with a sitter and driving off with no intention of coming back until the next Black Friday sales.