When I see the "X" in front of the letters, "mas" in the
word Christmas, it has always hurt my heart because we
wouldn??™t have Christmas without Christ Jesus. He is the
reason we celebrate the season.
Christmas isn??™t all the tinsel on the tree and all the
credit cards being charged at the mall. Christmas is a time
of love and giving as our Heavenly Father so generously sent
his son Jesus Christ to earth to give us the greatest gift
of all, ???SALVATION???.
All the other things we do at Christmas time besides the
acknowledgement of our savior??™s birth are supposed to be
filled with love and giving; not grudgingly but from our
willing, loving hearts. The Lord loves a cheerful giver.
I don??™t believe God wants us to go in debt to buy Christmas
presents for our family and friends. In fact, I think He
would be offended. Giving of ourselves, something we have
taken the time to make, lending a helping hand, a warm meal
to share,
visiting someone ill or in a nursing home or hospital; these
are just a few of the gifts of love we can give at Christmas
time. The three Wise Men were the first to bring gifts to
the Christ Child. Our tradition of giving to one another at
Christmas time is more than 2000 years old. We must all turn
our eyes, ears, hearts and minds back to where it all began
and even if you??™ve heard this miraculous story hundreds of
times you need to read and hear it again!
This Christmas as you??™re scurrying around looking for just
the right gift pause for a moment to remember why we are
giving. Put that credit card back in your wallet and think
of some way that you can give of yourself this year! And do
it with great joy and thankfulness in your hearts not with
grumbling, fighting crowds, frayed nerves, swollen feet and
???Bah, humbug???.
I don??™t think that is the way our Lord would like us to
celebrate His, ???Miraculous Birth???. Remember Jesus said, ???The
greatest of all the commandments is that we love one
another???.
So the next time you feel the urge to write, Xmas??¦ please
don??™t! Let??™s all remember to keep Christ in Christmas. Not
just on December 25th but all year long!
?©Copyright, Barbara J. Ervin-Weymouth, December
3, 2005, ?®All rights reserved
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