When I was a child, Christmas was great fun! My nephew and I would look through store catalogs and make our Christmas lists. We would steal fingers of frosting off of the cakes my mom baked and look for hidden presents. The funny thing about looking for presents, was the fact that we believed in Santa Claus! How funny! We would watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snow Man, The Grinch That Stole Christmas and A Christmas Carol. It was such a wonderful time of year for our family. We were always happy and filled with good food.
As I got older Christmas became a time of family gathering. It was such fun to have the family together and open presents! We got the usual socks and underwear, but those special requests! It was always so exciting to open the diary or roller skates that I wanted more than anything. The family turmoil that troubled me in later years did not seem so bad during Christmas.
As an adult I came to have a personal relationship with Christ. The holidays began to center on Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross. My daughter and I would read the book of Luke. Then we would watch the book of Acts on dvd and eat a big dinner. We then opened gifts and went to visit relatives. These were very sacred times.
Now here I am at Christmas number 40 and life's circumstances have matured and seasoned me. And again I ask the question, what is the real meaning of Christmas? I went to the gospel of Matthew and read the story of Jesus. I have read this gospel many times before, but now I have come with different questions. God what is the meaning of Christmas?
God has always existed and played an active part in the lives of His children. The Old Testament is filled with stories of God intervening in the lives of Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Samuel and Ester. He guided them and through each of them flows the blood line of Jesus. I asked God "how did life change when you sent Christ our Savior?"
Christ's life was sober, focused and difficult. God embodied experienced emotional distress, betrayal, death, murder, persecution, humiliation and isolation. God himself suffered some tough times. Then I asked God "Life continued to be difficult for believers after the resurrection. Where is the abundant life in martyrdom and despair?" "Shouldn't things have gotten better with the resurrection of Your Son?" Yet there remains struggle and strife, in the world and inside of people. Then I remembered the precious things that Jesus did have in the world. He had relationships. He had His disciples to comfort Him. He had His disciples to reveal, teach and guide. He had His disciples to love. He had His disciples and humanity, which gave purpose and meaning to His life.
Yes life is hard and sometimes unbearable, but there are a few relationships in my life that give me joy. It is my relationship with Christ that gave me a life worth living. It is my relationship with my family that gives me strength. It is my relationship to my destiny that gives me hope even when it feels like I am all alone. The meaning of Christmas is relationship.
Christ's sacrifice on the cross gave me the ability to be one with God. I am not separated from God because of my sin. He sees me as snow white and clean, washed by the blood of His Son. It is my relationship with God that my enemies seeks to destroy. The deceptive games of satan make people think they are seeking to settle a personal vendetta; but each person's act of unkindness is an attempt to separate the receiver of the pain from God.
This Christmas is a great time to renew your relationship with Christ.
This 40th Christmas means relationship to me. What does this Christmas mean to you?
photos via: alliecat-alliecat.blogspot.com, americana-music-and-memories.com, wellswarren.org, noquestionleftbehind.blogspot.com via google images.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Join the conversation!