Reverse Bedtime

Tonight was Reverse Bedtime at our house, one of our kids' favourite nights of the year. On a Reverse Bedtime night, the eldest three get to put Patrick and I and Pascal to bed, and then they get to stay up and watch movies and eat snacks and play games as late as they want, as long as there is no fighting and they clean up after themselves. 

It all started one night when the kids complained that they had to go to bed and we got to stay up late, when they were the ones who wanted to stay up late and we wanted to go to bed. And honestly, Reverse Bedtime is the gift we didn't know we needed. It's awesome.

Kachi had the job of tucking us in this time. He shooed us upstairs and then asked us to make room for him between us. He climbed into bed and read us a story, then prayed for us. And he checked on Pascal before he went downstairs.  

It's so unbelievably precious to see him shoulder the responsibility of thinking about Scally, remembering the bedtime routine and being so tender and deliberate. (We're pretty confident he's going to be the one reminding Sam and Vava to wash their dishes and turn out the lights before going to bed tonight.)

And I was thinking about how every bit of Jesus' human life must have felt like Reverse Bedtime to him. Mary carrying Him - and yet, wasn't He the one carrying her? Joseph keeping Him safe by fleeing to Egypt - but wasn't He the one keeping Joseph safe? Being taken to temple to worship God - and the priest worshiping Him.

Yup. The Christmas story is full of inside-outs and upside-downs. 

God comes to rescue us ... as a baby.

The long-sought king ... born in a stable.

A great host of angels, announcing His glorious birth ... to a handful of shepherds (and maybe a kid with a drum, idk).

Jesus left heaven ... to bring us home.

Inside-out and upside-down is how God's kingdom most often works. To grow, you bow lower. To be filled, you pour out. The obstacles you face aren't mountains, they're valleys. You cannot even attain salvation in this story - no; you can only receive it. And the more you try to give, the more you realize you have received.

The whole world of grown ups seeking salvation and peace and rescue? A little child shall lead them.

The whole story is a glorious Reverse Bedtime. Inside out and upside down and just what we didn't know we needed.

Awesome.

Merry Christmas, friends.
xo.