I attended a Christmas gathering
recently and part of the festivities included sharing what our favorite
childhood Christmas toy was. The answers
were varied, although given the room was filled with women, a doll was probably
at the top of the list. Others named a
bicycle, rubik’s cube, Barbie’s and hula hoops; etch a sketch and color-forms;
Easy Bake ovens and the magic 8 ball!
Of course there were those, like
myself, who had a very poor childhood and gifts were not memorable. Still there were a few we could
remember. I remember one Christmas when
my parents told my sisters and I Christmas would include no gifts, since we were
taking a trip to visit relatives, and money would be needed for gas. Still as a young child, I had expectations of
gifts, even if they weren’t much.
Christmas morning I learned how
honest my parents were! My older sister
and I received a single gift, a small bottle of perfume from the products my
father peddled at the time. Honestly, I
was crushed! Of course, my sister and I
pasted our best smiles on our faces and accepted the gift with all the
exuberance we could muster. I haven’t
any idea what my three year sister received that year, but I was sure
disappointed.
It’s interesting how important gifts
are when we are children. When I was
young, the really big event before Christmas was the arrival of the Sears and
Roebuck Christmas Catalogue, along with the J.C. Penny and Montgomery Ward
editions. As a child I spent hours,
literally, scouring every page, choosing specific toys or clothes, right down
to the color and size of the shirt, matching shoes, or dress I wanted. This was followed by all the items I would
buy, if I had my own house! The truth
is, Christmas in this environment, was all about me!
As a child, we don’t think past what
we want right now. We want the happiness
that can be unwrapped from under the tree.
In the corporate world it’s all about making as much money as can be
made with as little effort as possible, regardless of who is hurt. As parents, it’s about making sure our young
ones have the best Christmas ever. We
shop and wrap, keep secrets, decorate and do all within our means (and
sometimes beyond our means) to make sure our children have the Christmas of
their dreams!
But Christmas is not about me,
making money, the gifts, decorations, parties and social life and secrets! It’s about Jesus! It’s about the promise of the Messiah being
fulfilled through that tiny babe in a manger.
It’s also about why He came. Our
Savior came as a humble child to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins on the
cross at Calvary. We were given the gift
of Christmas to have the gift of salvation at Easter! This is the best gift, ever!
Where is your heart today? Is it tied up in the secular materialism
known as Christmas to the general world or is your heart given to the Risen
Messiah? Your answer will determine your
eternal home.
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
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