What Christmas is All About!

When I was a child, I could not wait for Christmas!  It was always such a special time and I loved everything about it! My mom made Christmas so special! Even with 5 children and finances being extremely tight, Christmas was always exciting and memorable for each of us.  I can’t remember the gifts I received from year to year, but the things I remember are the special times that we experienced as a family.  I loved waking up on the days preceding Christmas and hearing the Christmas music playing, smelling the wonderful goodies mom had cooking, and seeing my mom on the couch reading her Bible!

There was one Christmas that will forever be embedded in my heart!  This was a particularly hard year financially for our family and we were not able to afford a Christmas tree.  Well, my mom still made it so special for us as we were preparing to head to Virginia to be with our family.  Just a few days before we left, I went to the grocery store with my mom, and as we left we noticed the leftover Christmas trees that were still out front.  There was one that was very small and didn’t have many branches.  Most people would have laughed at it, but we noticed that it was only $1.99 and my mom said we could get it!  We were so excited!  We took it home, propped it up on a table and decorated it so special!  We still, to this day, call it our “Charlie Brown Christmas Tree”! 

When I was 9 years old we moved away from Virginia where all of our extended family was, so at Christmas, we would travel back and stay with my grandparents.  We would go to my dad’s parent’s house for Christmas Eve with that group and put on shows with singing and acting with my cousins. We would open presents and enjoy that time with them.  Then we would stay at my mom’s parent’s house and all 7 of us slept upstairs.  It was a little cramped, but they are memories I will never forget! Lol! My parent’s had one bedroom and the other bedroom consisted of all 5 of us kids!  Good thing we all liked each other! Haha! My 3 sisters slept in 3 twin beds, my brother on the floor, and me, well, I slept in the baby crib they had in there! Yes, that’s right! Even at 10 years old, I slept, all cramped up in that baby bed!  I used to sleep with a watch and a flashlight because I was so excited to get up early!  I couldn’t wait to wake up Christmas morning and see what Santa had left for me!  When we all got up, the rule was we couldn’t go downstairs until all 7 of us had gone to the bathroom.  What torture! Seven people using one bathroom took an eternity!

After we opened our gifts, my Granny would make breakfast and my Granddaddy would read from the Bible!  Even through all the fun and chaos of Christmas get-togethers, we all settled down and listened as my Granddaddy read to us about the meaning of Christmas!

As a child, I would get caught up in the materialism of Christmas but foundations were being set by my parents & grandparents of what Christmas really was all about.  Not the gift that was wrapped under the tree, but the Gift that came in the form of a baby! That Gift was the Messiah!

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:11

Even before I was born, God knew I needed a Savior and he sent his son! As an adult, it can be easy to get caught up in the materialism of Christmas.  Are there enough presents for everyone? Did I get what everyone wanted? But, as a parent, I want to set the foundations for my kids as well! I want my children to know what the true meaning of Christmas is! 

Oh sweet Lord, forgive me for getting caught up in the chaos!  Christmas is all about YOU!  You are the Reason for the season and all glory goes to YOU and you alone!

My heart is overwhelmed as I sit here this morning and read my Bible! In the quietness of this moment, with the Christmas lights on, I have a love for my Savior that goes beyond any love I could ever have for anyone or anything!  He came for me in the form of a baby and walked on this earth and endured death and the cross only for one purpose…for me (and you)! 

So with a few days left before Christmas, I let go of everything and grasp on to my special Gift…my sweet Savior!  He set the standard for giving and receiving and I will focus on him! My prayer for all of you is the same! May you relish this Christmas in the true meaning and find sweet peace in your wonderful Savior! Enjoy your time with family and friends and together, praise His name! Merry Christmas!