Simplify Christmas Celebrate Christ
Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. There is nothing I do not like about it. The lights, decorations, music, parties, TV specials, get togethers, cantatas, Christmas plays, gifts, Christmas trees, and especially church. My mind is filled with memories, from the first Christmas I can remember having a real tree, to the Christmas I bought our first artificial tree. From the Christmas I received my first cowboy set, complete with matching chrome plated six shooter cap guns, to the Christmas I received my last toy. From the first Christmas we celebrated with our first child to the Christmas when we could not afford to purchase presents for our children, and every Christmas in between. As children we drove our parents crazy asking, “When will it be Christmas?” or “Is it Christmas yet?” or better yet “when is Santa coming?” Mom solved this continual bombardment of “when is Christmas” questions by giving us candy cane counters. They had 15 pieces of red yarn attached from bottom to top, each tied in a bow holding a single candy cane, and at the top was a set of little doors which you opened on Christmas Eve to reveal Santa. Each year starting on the 10th of December, we would take off one candy cane after supper and could count the days left until Christmas; it was the highlight of our day.
Shortly after Thanksgiving, mom would take a week off from work to decorate the house, do her shopping, and bake. She made green cookies shaped like Christmas trees, with sprinkles for decorations; little cookies shaped like camels; turtle cookies, little chocolate covered cookies with pecans for its head and feet; and ranger cookies. But my favorite was chest pies, small individual sized pies filled with pecans, raisins and a filling similar to a pecan pie filling only not as sweet. The house would be filled with the smell of fresh goodies, the sounds of Christmas music, and the sights of lights, greenery, various decorations, and of course the tree. The days leading up to Christmas were filled with wondrous memories, but the day that holds my fondest memories is Christmas Eve. There is just something magical about it, the waiting is almost over, and the evening is filled with last minute preparations, visits from friends and family. But mostly the night is filled with the anticipation of Santa’s arrival. Several days before Christmas, my mother’s family, Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Billy would arrive to spend the holidays with us. They would all be at our house by Christmas Eve. The house would be filled with the smell of food, and the sounds of multiple conservations as the adults sat around the table, while Christmas music, and the TV played in the background, and I relished every minute of it. My head was filled with the joy of having everyone in our home, and the thoughts of the rest of my family who would arrive in the morning. But most of all my thoughts revolved around what the coming day would bring, what treasures and surprises lay waiting under the tree and what Santa would bring.
Christmas morning we would wake to find some unwrapped presents from Santa, we played with these with delight until mom and dad would awake, then they would let each child open one present from Santa, until the rest of the family arrived. After breakfast, Gran and Jack, dad’s parents would arrive, and we would begin to open the rest of the gifts. This was the moment we had been waiting for all year. We ripped off the wrapping with great excitement. We would ooh and ah over the gift then start on the next present, as if we were starved strays, opening boxes of T-bones, and as quick as it started it would be all over. What followed was a feeling of emptiness, all that anticipation, and excitement, and it was all over. Do not get me wrong, we were appreciative for what we received and we loved our presents, but no matter how much I received or what I got, it never seemed to meet or fill the expectation I had. I can remember going the next day, and just sitting and looking up at the tree, wondering if maybe just maybe there was a gift we had missed, something which would extend the joy I had leading up to Christmas day, but there never was. New Years day would come and the decorations would come down, and so would I.
I hated to see the decorations go, I enjoyed them so much, and wished they could stay up all year or least another few days. Even today, I still sit and pout while listening to Christmas music one last time the night before we take our decorations down, I still hate to see them go.
Christmas day is not such a big let down today, because one year I found that one final missing present, the only one I really needed, the one that made the season all worth while, the one that far exceeded my expectations and anticipation, that gift is Jesus. You see I had missed the point. I had missed the reason for the season, even though I always knew it was all about Jesus, I forgot to celebrate His birth and worship Him. For years I focused on myself, what I would get or what I wanted, or I focused on others, and what to get them. I got caught up in what the world sees as Christmas; the parties, decorations, music, and gifts. These days we try not to get caught up in these things, we still decorate, listen to the music, go to parties, and give gifts, but we spend less on each other, and our children. We try to give to those less fortunate than ourselves. But mostly, we look forward to worshiping Christ not only in church, but through our giving to Lottie Moon, Samaritan’s purse, and other charities. This Christmas I want to challenge you to look under the tree for that one last present that you have missed for all these years, open it and share with others. Remind those who already know Him what the season is all about, but more importantly, share the love of Jesus with those who do not know what Christmas is all about. You will never receive or give a better gift than you will when you share the love of Christ with a lost soul, then and only then will you truly understand the reason for the season.
