I love Christmas! It’s that time of year when we rush to get everything just so. The trees are up and the lights have been lit. Wreaths are hanging and bows have been placed. Garlands strung and rooms bedazzled. Stockings stuffed and hung by the chimney with care with all the other finery of Christmas. Some presents may actually be wrapped and under the tree already waiting for the recipient, but is that all there is? Of course not!
Our holidays are filled with memories of traditions, stories, recipes, decorations, and trips. Not all of these are about Jesus’ birth but many of them have roots that reach all the way back through time to that very first Christmas. The first 22 years of my life I spent Christmas in a little mountain town called Dobson, NC. It was where Mama and Daddy met and started housekeeping. All our family lived within 50 miles. We moved to SC when I was 5 but always traveled back to Dobson at Christmas. We would usually arrive on Christmas Eve, and would quickly head to the woods to find the perfect Christmas tree. You would laugh at our version of perfect. I did not know what a store-bought tree was until I was an adult. We would decorate it, make popcorn balls, and get ready for Santa. There was not a lot of heat in the house so we had to stay snuggled in on Christmas morning till daddy got the fireplace going and everything warmed up before we got to see what Santa brought. To this day, I don’t know how mama and daddy managed this feat with 4 children in tow. There truly was some magic going on because we never saw what Santa brought till Christmas morning.
My friend Deann recently shared a story about “The legend of the Christmas Tree.” It tells how, over a thousand years ago, a monk named Boniface used an evergreen as a way to explain the triune God to people: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There is also “The Legend of the Candy Cane” which does the same thing. The giving of gifts is a direct correlation to the gifts of the 3 Magi. Time and the commercialization of Christmas has all but erased the true meaning of our basic traditions. But, there are some traditions that remain a constant reminder of the two priceless gifts we were given, the birth of a son from a virgin mother who would save us all from our sins and the sacrifice of that same son on a cross to complete the act of redeeming us.
Two priceless gifts that were documented multiple times and could never be erased or repeated. Nothing can replace the actual giving of those two gifts but through the gift of time, art, writing, and creativity, we can share the wonderful stories of Christmas in a way that children can understand while still hanging on to the traditions that we have added over the years. Little bits and pieces that all become a part of who we are and how we celebrate. Our church has always done a candlelight, Christmas Eve service. You have not celebrated Christmas until you have been to a candlelight service. It’s almost like how I think the birth of Jesus would have been on that night. Our church has also created a tradition of setting up and lighting the nativity set, that has brought much joy to the beginning of the advent season.
Fill the stockings, sip the hot cocoa, pass the presents and celebrate the birth of our Savior, but, take the time to find ways to share the love and joy that the season brings by helping those around understand the true meaning of Christmas. Start with the Real Christmas Story straight out of Matthew 1:18-25 and or Luke 2:1-7 then, you can add in your other stories that simplify or present the message in a different way. May you find all the gifts of the season and the real reason we celebrate.
Below are a few of my old favorite stories and some new that have roots in the original reason for Christmas except for one, I had to include “The Night Before Christmas” because it’s my favorite, the author’s last Name is Moore and there are dozens and dozens of variations. Just remember the reason for the season. Merry Christmas y’all.
Sara, have you ever heard Paul Harvey’s rendition of “The Man and the Birds”? It’s probably my favorite, next to scripture.
Sara, this is a great devotion! Thank you for helping us to remember that first Christmas, even wrapped up in all our own memories and traditions.
Well done!!!
Sounds like your upbringing was a lot like mine, it was the only time a got fruit, super devotion.
Amen, have a great day and share Jesus WITH SOMEONE TODAY.