The Reason For The Season

A few years ago a friend gave me a set of Christmas dishes - something I had wanted for a long time. I put them away in the basement and completely forgot about them so the first Christmas after I got them, I never used them. I remembered them on Boxing day - too late to pull them out. Since I really did want to enjoy and use the dishes the next Christmas, I put a reminder in my Outlook Calendar for December 1 - TAKE OUT CHRISTMAS DISHES - and it worked!

Today is December 1 and so this morning while my family was getting ready for work/school, I brought up the dishes from the basement, washed, dried them and put our eggs & english muffins on them for breakfast. I have friends who have laughed at me for needing to put a reminder to myself to take out my Christmas dishes but I'm okay with that. I get to use the dishes all month and enjoy the Christmas touch on the table every time we eat.

Something else I do each year on or around December 1 is remind myself that I need to make Christmas about JESUS. Does that sound odd to you? I am simply being honest. Even though I grew up in a Christian home and have attended church all my life, it takes a conscious choice to live out what I choose to believe - that JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. I don't want to get to Boxing day and realize that I forgot to make Jesus the focus of my Christmas experience.

As we became parents Derrick and I decided that we would not do the Santa thing with our children. We don't have anything against Santa but we wanted our children to know that the gifts they got came from us, their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins or friends. We made a point of telling our children about the true meaning of Christmas and the significance of Jesus' birth. We also told them about Santa and even took them to have their pictures taken with him but Santa never came to our house. We got many a lecture from friends, acquaintances and even strangers about this - apparently we robbed our children of the joy of Christmas. Of course we disagree - but feel free to ask them if you ever get the chance.

We took great joy in planning what we would buy each of our children for Christmas, wrapped the gifts lovingly, excitedly put them under the tree and then watched with anticipation as they were opened on Christmas day. We have some wonderful memories of those precious moments. I don't think we robbed our children of anything. As I think about the joy we have experienced in giving gifts to our children, I cannot help but think about my Heavenly Father and the incredible gift He gave to me - to all of humanity - through His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of this gift, I have eternal life with Him. What other reason should there be for the season than Jesus?

This morning as I put the Christmas dishes on the table my family began another Christmas tradition - teasing me about my favourite Christmas album, wondering when I will begin to play it. In the next few days I will pull out the bins of Christmas decorations and start listening to my CDs. While some of them are traditional Christmas music about Santa, sleigh bells, snow men and the like, many of them speak of the truth of Christmas, that Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

Another December 1 is drawing to a close and while my Outlook Calendar reminder about the dishes has been dismissed, the one in my heart and mind about Jesus being the Reason for the Season is set to re-occur daily for the next 25 days.