Growing up it was so magical it almost hurt to wait and wait and wait for the Big Day. We always opened our presents on Christmas Eve, right after a beautiful church service, complete with every person getting to light a candle while singing "Silent Night." After that Mom would have a table set with goodies and munchies.
My brothers were much older than Bunny and I (hmmm...guess they still are!), so they were married and starting their families during these golden memory times. We were always glad they married girls from our town so we could have them on the 24th and they would spend the 25th at the in-laws. One time Den and Gail arrived after we had left for church. When we returned they told me that I had "just missed Santa. And we petted Rudolph!" That was kind of a bummer guys!! To just miss him!
I remember the first Christmas after I was told the stark reality of certain fictional-characters-that-I-thought-were-real. Bummer. I was really sad. So I determined I wouldn't go that route with my own kiddoes. While we watched "Rudolf" or "Frosty," we always told them he was pretend. One time 3-year-old Logan told the neighbor boy that "Santa is dead." We never said that!! Really!
I was always in charge of decorating the tree. Daddy had about 12 strings of lights that he required to be on-tree. He loved the flashing ones. Not sequenced. The kind where whole chunks of your tree go black for awhile then light up again. So, needless to say, our tree was a mass of flashing lights. And also, needless to say, we use two strings on our tree now and NONE of them flash or sequence. :)
Mom loved to shop. No, she LOVED to shop. With tons of presents under the tree she and I had a battle going. She would make piles of presents. Here was my pile. Here was Bun's pile. Here were the piles for the boys. That didn't go over well with me. I'd get home from school and artistically arrange the presents under the tree--all mixed up. When I got home the next day there were the piles. How annoying that must've been to her! When you opened one she would invariably say, "That was originally $89. . . I got it for $3." That would be followed by, "You can return it if you want."
My dad always bought each of us girls one gift. He would go out on Christmas Eve Day and buy it. It was always so special to us, whatever he got. Earrings (the Christmas after Mom let me get my ears pierced against Daddy's wishes), a robe, and, gee, I can't remember any other gifts from him!
We've kept some of the traditions. Open presents on Christmas Eve after going to church. (When we have lived someplace that didn't have a Christmas Eve service we told the kids they had to wait for the first star to come out. Or, in cloudy weather, for the street lamps to come on. I went with the three presents per person: one clothes, one useful, and one fun. Now that there are married kids I've adapted to three gifts per couple: one couple gift and one for each person in the couple. I'm going to have to write another chapter on dealing with grandchildren...I'd buy them everything if I don't have a rule to follow!
I just found out a few years ago that we have a tradition that I make cheesy potato soup each Christmas Eve. I didn't realize I did that all the time, but now it's written down in the Watley Manual (that the kids think we have.)
Loy buys the stocking stuffers (errr...I mean Santa leaves the stocking stuffers). They are elaborately filled with all sorts of goodies. One item is always a new toothbrush. The rest can vary. There are so many things that usually it is a pile topped with a flat stocking so we know who gets what. We've told the kids that only people who stay overnight here on Christmas Eve get stockings. There have been grumblings in the ranks over this. :)
It seems like there has been a trend among us Christians to put a damper on my celebrations. Like I'm wrong to want to buy my kids presents and that if I don't have a "Happy Birthday, Jesus" cake I'm some sort of a heathen. But you know, the Bible doesn't tell us to celebrate Jesus's birth like it does tell us to celebrate other things. There are no rules written there. I've been pondering that lately.
What do I really love about Christmas?
I LOVE giving my loved ones gifts that I have thoughtfully purchased. I think I actually probably love giving more than getting. (But, kids, don't get any ideas!) It's not so much the gift itself but the fact that someone thought about me and chose a specific item thinking it would make me happy. "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matthew 7:10-12 I am not going to apologize to anyone giving gifts to those I love.
I LOVE being with my family. Love, love, love it. And it struck me that when I get to heaven it might be like that...a homecoming. Joy at seeing everyone. Lots of talking and laughing and loving spending time together. Just a thought I had...
I LOVE eating special foods. Things we don't eat any other time of year. Divinity. Grandma Rogers Sugar Cookies with frosting (even though I am the worst cookie decorator EVER. They still taste fantastic!)
I LOVE thinking about a baby born in a manger to a young virgin and the wise men and the shepherds. That is a wonderful historical image. But you know, that doesn't give life. It's miraculous, but we weren't saved when He was born.
It isn't about the miracles Jesus did while He was here on earth. Those are amazing. They are wonderful. I don't know why He show Himself in so many miracles now. But, they don't give life.
It's not even just about His dying on the cross. Lots of people have died on crosses throughout history. That doesn't give us life.
It's about what happened AFTER the cross that is life giving. Life changing. Like nothing ever. Jesus was on that cross dying thinking of me. Taking the penalty for the sins I would commit. Being separated from His Father because of me. But, the great news, He rose again. For me.
It was His gift. But, it will do me no good at all if I leave it in a pile under the tree.
I'm not going to lie. I don't understand it all. I don't know why it had to be this way. But I KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW that it is true.
Here's one of my favorite Christmas songs. Hope you like it.
Merry Christmas!!!
It's not just about the manger
Where the baby lay
It's not all about the angels
Who sang for him that day
It's not just about the shepherds
Or the bright and shining star
It's not all about the wisemen
Who travelled from afar
It's about the cross
It's about my sin
It's about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again
It's about the stone
That was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday
It's about the cross
It's about the cross
It's not just about the presents
Underneath the tree
It's not all about the feeling
That the season brings to me
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/g/go_fish/about_the_cross.html ]
It's not just about coming home
To be with those you love
It's not all about the beauty
In the snow I'm dreaming of
The beginning of the story is wonderful and great
But it's the ending that can save you and that's why we celebrate
It's about the cross
It's about my sin
It's about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again
It's about God's love
Nailed to a tree
It's about every drop of blood that flowed from Him when it should have been me
It's about the stone
That was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday
So that you and I could have real life someday
It's about the cross
It's about the cross
<pre><span style='font-size:1.5em'>Go Fish - About The Cross lyrics</span>
<a href="http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/g/go_fish/about_the_cross.html" target="_blank" title="About The Cross lyrics by Go Fish">Go Fish - About The Cross lyrics | LyricsMode.com</a>
Hmmm. Why do my links to this song not come through???
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Why do my links to this song not come through???
ReplyDelete