Christmas

It is Christmas Eve, which means there are some people going to the mall getting their last minute gifts, cookies are getting baked for Santa, hams and turkeys are getting thawed all for tomorrow.  While I will be doing a few of these things today I want to write about tonight and tomorrow.  We have been blessed to go our friends the Murray’s for the last (well it has been many years) years for Christmas Eve.  We have homemade pizza, salad, and all sorts of treats.  We watch A Christmas Story, and all laugh when we hear the line, “I triple dog dare you.”  Christmas Eve at Mike and Kathy’s is a special night.  That night we are part of their family.  It is one of my favorite parts of Christmas.  

Today while you are getting your last minute stuff done, I hope you have time to think about the real meaning of Christmas.  Can you imagine what it was like for Mary to get a visit from an angel saying that she was going to give birth to the Son of God?  She was Handmaiden of the Lord.  Wow, what a responsibility she was given, all mothers are given children of God, but this was the Son of God.  I do not want to know what it was like on the journey to Bethlehem.  I have rode horses and that is not the most comfortable ride ever but that was for a short time.  I cannot imagine being ready to give birth making that trip. 

Then I think of Joseph, he did not have to marry Mary.  He could have walked away, but he did not.  He is a great example to many fathers of what their potential is.  One of my favorite Christmas albums is called The Forgotten Carols.  A song is written from Joseph’s perspective.  In it one of the lines is, “I was not his father He was mine.”  What a good dad to bring up this little boy, loving him and taking care of him. 

The innkeeper always seems to get a bad rap in the story.  It was not his fault the inn was full.  People had come from all over the country to pay their taxes.  He felt bad for the couple and that is why he let them use the stable.  I am sure that if he knew who was going to be born that night he would have put them up in a better place.  However, remember from prophecies about the birth we now that he was going to be meek and mild.  Then born in a stable is perfect for that.  The innkeeper did the best he could. 

I think of the sheppards watching their flocks by night seeing the new star.  Following what the angels had told them to do.  Worshiping the newborn King, can you imagine what it was like?  Here was this new baby perfect like we want our children to be and He was the Savior of the world.  What it must have been like to see those heavenly hosts?  To see angels singing praising to the newborn King. 

Then the wisemen bring their gifts.  They knew who He was; they knew He was the King!  They had read the prophecies of old and new there would be a new star that they followed.  They also knew that Herod would kill the King because he was worried that his kingdom would be taken over.  Little did Herod know that his kingdom was not in any jeopardy? 

So sometime during the next few days I hope that you are all able to read in Luke 2 about the birth of the Savior of the World.  What a loving Father in Heaven we have to give the world His only Begotten Son.  Tonight is the holiest of all nights.  May we all remember the real reason for Christmas, I hope that each of you get those blessing you stand in need of and even those you do not feel like you deserve.  I know that I am blessed to have three beautiful children that I love more than anything.  My goal is to be as good as mother as I can.  I hope that I will be a little like Mary, because she is my hero when it comes to being a mom.