As I excitedly get ready to be with my family for Christmas, I tell myself that I know the real meaning of Christmas. It is not about the presents. Although I am a gifter. If there were no holiday that promoted gift giving I would go broke giving presents all year long.
It is not about the decorations. Still I love seeing all the lights glimmering at this time of year.
It is not even about the Christmas Carols, which I listen to all year long.
I am thinking it is about friends and family celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Then I read an article in "Our Daily Bread" on Dec. 15th, in my morning devotions. It was titled "Canceled Christmas". It was about a couple that was unable to be with their family for Christmas because of weather related flight cancelations. They felt like their Christmas was canceled because they couldn't celebrate with their family.
They went to church that Sun. where their pastor spoke of Christmas expectations.. He said, "If our expectations for Christmas are gifts and time with family, we have set our expectations too low."
That really hit me. Yes we have always talked about how Jesus is "The reason for the Season." We read the Christmas story and sometimes sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.
Although we give gifts we always downplay their importance. But I have been putting the importance of being with my family ahead of "The Reason for the Season".
Could I actually celebrate His birth if for some reason I couldn't be with our family? Sobering thought.
Christmas needs to be celebrated as the beginning of the end.
It started with His birth and continued with His death and resurrection. Not to mention all of His teachings and loving examples.
All of that brought an end to our separation from God and the end of our deserved penalty for our sin, with our acceptance of what Jesus has done for us and turning back to God the Father. We can now have a relationship with our Holy Father and the Son.
I pray that I stop having such low expectations for Christmas and put my heart where it should be and celebrate "The Beginning of The End"!
