"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." - Luke 2:11
I’ve been thinking a lot about the true meaning of Christmas lately. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle & bustle of the season. What was once a religious holiday that focused on the birth of our Savior has sadly, for many, become no more than a commercialized holiday where department stores mislead us into thinking that the only way to achieve happiness and celebrate the season is by maxing out the credit card.
As I anticipate the birth of my first child, I have caught myself day dreaming about next year's Christmas. My fiancée & I have already begun to think about how we will share our family traditions with our child. The other night we touched on the topic of Santa Claus. I was raised in a family where we eagerly anticipated Santa’s annual visit. We would visit him at shopping malls, send our carefully crafted letters/wish lists addressed to the North Pole & try to be on our best behavior for the entire month prior to his magical visit on Christmas Eve, lest we end up with a stocking full of coal. Yes, it was a truly exciting and magical time and something I never questioned sharing with my own children one day. Don’t get me wrong. Santa was not the only focal point at Christmas time growing up. We always set out the manager scene, attended weekly church services & were enrolled in a private religious school where we were well versed on the true meaning of Christmas. It’s just that, on Christmas Eve, Santa was the main attraction.
Upon mentioning Santa Claus to my fiancée, a blank stare came across his face. I did not understand why he didn’t feel the same way about sharing this fun tradition with our own little angel one day. He explained that growing up, he & his siblings really didn’t do the whole Santa thing. He felt that it took the focus off of what the season was really about. I paused for a second and thought about what he was saying. I knew he was right, but it was a hard little holiday pill to swallow. As a child, I always loved Santa Claus and couldn't imagine not passing this tradition down to my daughter. We discussed it further and came to a compromise. Since I don’t want to deprive our child completely of a magical visit of her own from Santa, we agreed, at least for the time being, that it will be a small part of our future Christmas celebrations. The conclusion we came to was that our child will receive one small stocking with a few trinkets inside. Most of these items will have religious significance (books, ornaments, etc.) and there will be no extravagant gifts. The focus of our Santa visits will reinforce the message of Christ’s birth.
A family member sent me this e-card last year. I was going through my old emails & came across it. I think it beautifully sums up what this time of year is truly all about. To view, click on the following link.
This Christmas, let’s not lose sight about what we are celebrating. This time of year is fun & festive with all of the gifts & parties, but if we fail to bring our focus back to the true meaning of Christmas, it becomes nothing more than an excuse to eat, drink & be merry. It’s so easy to get tangled up in the tinsel, to gorge ourselves on goodies & to set our sights on Santa instead of our Savior. Instead, let’s strive to keep Christ in Christmas!
Jesus is the Reason for the Season!
Christmas Blessings Everyone!
Wow.. I am impressed..
ReplyDelete