It's Christmas morning. I'm up, sitting here with my coffee. The radio is tuned to KLOVE, 99.99 FM. What great Christmas music they are playing this morning! The poinsettia is soaking up the sunlight which is streaming in the east window and it promises to be a great day weather-wise.
Our kids are grown up and we have no grandchildren. This means several things where Christmas is concerned-I slept in until 8:00 today! There's no wrapping paper strewn about, no excited yelps, no bodies sitting on the floor of our small living room. We did not even, gasp, have a Christmas tree this year. No outside lights. I didn't get out any decorations-but to quote a green fellow we all know, Christmas came - it came just the same.
In our family of "adult" children, we drew names and shared simple gifts on Christmas Eve. We had soup and chili, and cheese and crackers, and pie for dessert. Today we will go to my brother's place and enjoy Christmas dinner, and yakking, and more dinner, and more yakking, and play cards, and, well, just be together.
I enjoy decorations, lights, and trees just as much as the next person (unless that person happens to be my husband.) But keeping it simple this year, and noticing everyone else's lights and decorations was just fine for me. While I'm napping, you guys will be taking all that stuff down.
Keeping it simple. In this world of $800.00 PlayStations, and Wii's, and new IPODs, and big screen TVs, that's a concept that intrigues me. Maybe that's why I am striving to get my financial business in shape so that in 2 or 3 years, we can move out of the city and enjoy a simplier lifestyle. We've already started to do that in several ways.
Prosperity preachers and their concepts of "blessings" grate on my soul. There's nothing wrong if God chooses to bless you materially. But my oh my, our purpose on this earth is not to acquire things and more things. And forgive me if I sound a little scroogy, I don't mean for it to, but more than once when our kids were growing up, Christmas didn't happen very substantially. We were blessed at times by those who knew we were struggling, but we didn't ask for help. I didn't apply to charities for assistance or stand in line for a free turkey. Nothing wrong with that. But I wonder, I just wonder, if the meaning of Christmas is lost when a kid opens his 20th present and plays with the boxes. I realize when I have my own cute grandkids, I'll be one of those doting grandma types, no doubt about it - that's a perspective I haven't experienced yet.
I think Christmas gifts mean more when there is more of yourself IN the gift. For example, before my mother went to be with Jesus, she knitted several small Christmas bell ornaments for her grandchildren. Those simple red knitted bells mean the world to me-in fact, my daughter asked for hers to hang on her tree, but I couldn't quite give it to her just yet! (Sorry Rebekah.) I had a fleeting thought to pick up this tradition as we've had several additions to our family who don't have a knitted red Christmas bell ornament. I think mom would be pleased.
Whatever you do today, celebrate the things in your life that mean the most. For me, that's saying, Happy Birthday Jesus. In answer to my question of what Jesus would want us to give him on His birthday, my friend Candice commented - "I think Jesus would be delighted if we'd all just spend a little time with him. At least 1/2 as much as we spend waiting in line to check out at the mall or Wal-Mart. Merry Christmas!"
Well said Candice. Merry Christmas to you too.
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