What Is Christmas All About

"Let Adversity Make You A Better Person"

This morning I am sitting here on the couch with my body aching from yesterday's activities of putting up the Christmas tree and a few decorations.  I really hadn't had the desire to put up any decorations this year.  The kids are all grown.  Although Tom and Bob are still at home, they are gone alot.  Mostly it's just Jeff and I, and I kept wondering "why?"  I'll just go to the trouble of putting up the decorations and only Jeff and I will see them and then I will take them down in a couple of weeks.

But yesterday Tom had a couple of hours at home and I told him if he wanted to get the boxes of decorations down I would spend the day putting a "few" things up.  Well, it took me all day and my body ached from head to toe by the time I was done.  (For those of you who don't realize the effects of some of my health issues, this is one of the problems I have.)  But when Bobby walked in from work last night and said "oh, Christmas", it made me smile and seemed to be worth it.

My favorite part of my decorations is the nativity scene that I got when I was about 11 or 12 and I was a Merri-Miss or something like that in Young Women's back then.  It's made out of card board and you put it together.  It's very old, well since I'm old it must be too, but I've tried to keep it in good shape.  I always set it up under the Christmas tree with lights under it.  I couldn't find it this year and I was putting everything away and felt really sad that I wouldn't be able to have it out.  Just as I was ready to close the last box to put things away, there it was.  I know I had looked in all the boxes several times.  The addition of that to the decorations made all the difference.  Later, as Jeff and I sat alone, in our quiet little house where really it's just the two of us that see the decorations most of the time, he told me that when he saw the nativity scene it brought tears to his eyes.

Last Sunday the First Presidency of our Church had their Christmas Devotional broadcast and we had missed it because we had gone to visit my Mom and Dad.  We had recorded it though.  I'm so glad that we have DVR.  Anyway, I really had a rough night last night.  My body ached all night long and I woke up feeling very tired and wondering about all the work I put into decorating the house.  Instead of going to church (yes, I skipped church), I laid down on the couch and watched the Devotional.  It really opened my eyes to what Christmas is really all about.  It made me think about the Nativity Scene and why it should always be central in my Christmas decorations and if nothing else gets put up I need to take the time to put up the Nativity Scene.  I especially liked President Uchtdorf's message and how he told the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and it was wonderful how he brought out the meaning in that story.  If any of you missed the Devotional, here is a link to it:

First Presidency Christmas Devotional

My most favorite Christmas show in the whole world is the Charlie Brown Christmas.  When Charlie Brown asks "does anyone know what Christmas is all about" and Linus gets up on stage and the lights go dim and the spotlight goes on him and he recites the Christmas Story from Luke in his little "Linus voice":

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you;  Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Then he picks up his little blue blanky and walks over to Charlie Brown and says "that's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown" and sticks his thumb in his mouth.

Does it need to be any more complicated than that?  Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Saviour.  How do we do that?  We don't need to make it a huge stressful ordeal of parties and lists.  Sometimes it's enough just to remember what He has done for you and your family.  IF you are able, then it's awesome if you can do more, but maybe that should be secondary, AFTER you have "remembered" what He has done for you.

Maybe the "list" that we should start with each Christmas is the list of our blessings from our Saviour.  Then the Christmas card that we write would be a Thank You to our Saviour for all that He has done for us.

May all of you be filled with the joy of the Saviour's love this year.  He knows you by name.  I know that for certain!

Until next time!  Becky