Making Christmas Happen

Do most of us think that every present must be bought and every card written, along with every cookie baked for Christmas to happen? I pondered this question and I remember sharing this story with a friend who was facing serious surgery recently…

I don’t remember exactly what year it was, but the night before Thanksgiving I met a sweet friend at church to decorate the sanctuary with the visual for the Lottie Moon Christmas offering – my friend had made three crosses from railroad ties, she had bore holes in them to place big Christmas lights through so that we could turn on  a bulb for every hundred dollars of offering. We were getting the crosses out of the back of the truck-two were 6 feet tall and the middle one was 8 feet tall. (Of course the base had to be big enough to hold them up stably)We had each taken a cross in and I went back to get the big one and as I pulled it out of the truck it knocked me down from the weight and I could barely pull it by myself – Myra came out to help me and said you should not have tried to carry that alone –I said tomorrow I will feel it cos it had really jolted me- I said something like wow how hard it must have been for Jesus to go a long way carrying a big heavy cross.

The next day as I drove to my SIL house for Thanksgiving Dinner I thought I was having a heart attack-I felt a fiery heat go though my upper body and down my arm and then excruciating pain that would not subside- long story short –it took them almost two weeks to decide that I had completely ruptured a disc in my neck – probably from my cross carrying and the very next morning I was in surgery. Because I had been in so much pain I had not made one preparation for Christmas – not one. Upon leaving the hospital they said I could not ride in a car for one month-do to the work they had done on my neck.

More long story short- that was the sweetest Christmas time I have ever had- I felt the love of kindnesses of so many-I had a beautiful tree some one else decorated, presents that were all bought by family and friends, cooking every day, more poinsettas than I could imagine, baked gifts everywhere, people who came to clean, cook, shop or just visit, carolers many times. I did not get into the hustle and bustle- I was still and I experienced Christmas.

I experienced true love in action  which is what Christmas is all about really – the greatest gift we ever received  was the gift of a baby and that gift just kept on giving all because of love. I remind myself at Christmas that love in action is the best gift and if I don’t bake those cookies or haven’t wrapped every present to the hilt, the most important thing is remembering the reason for the season and LOVE!

Wouldn’t this Christmas be a great one if this is the year we forgave someone for something we’ve hung onto for way to long, because of LOVE.

Wouldn’t this Christmas be a great one if we spent a little more time spending time with loved ones and maybe even included someone who doesn’t have the blessings we have, because of LOVE.

Wouldn’t this Christmas be a great one if we remembered those less fortunate than us and gave to them generously, because of LOVE.

Wouldn’t this be a great Christmas if we just loved because God first loved us so much that He gave his only begotten son….

Just some thoughts, because I found myself worrying about what I haven’t done instead of enjoying what I have done~even more what God has done for ME.

Merry Christmas-God loves you!

Be Blessed!