There's a lot to not like about Christmas. The rushing around buying presents. The expensive travel plans. The worry of how to make up time lost at your job (if you aren't paid for holidays...and some people aren't). Planning the perfect menu. TRAFFIC.
However, there's a lot to like about Christmas. Most jobs are closed for the holiday. You get to see friends and family you haven't seen in awhile. The food. (<---See what I did there? I just dropped the verb all together to make the food the only part of the sentence. It's poor sentence structure, but a very accurate portrayal of my feelings for food.) Seeing the face of someone as they open the present you picked out for them. All of these are really great, but none of these is my favorite part of Christmas.
This may sound crazy, but my favorite part is the silence. The silence after the hustle and bustle of the holiday activities. The part where you get home and just sit in front of your Christmas tree and realize what all God has given you. This majestic part of Christmas is pretty much why I set our tree up. I can't believe all that has been given to me this year.
Upon my Christmas tree, there are some ornate, some dignified, and some tacky ornaments from years past...and I remember them all. Well, not my husband's, but I can imagine how elegant the 1983 train must have looked on the Christmas tree every year. I can imagine his mother's joy upon seeing the toy horse adorning the tree each year as Jon's toys got more and more complex and the "toy horses" of his childhood were now abandoned. How can I imagine this? Well, I have one heck of an imagination, but also, I have my block-elf that I made in 3rd grade on the tree. There's also the ornament that my aunt made and wrote my name and year on it in 1989. Also up there are faded ornaments that I don't remember not being on our Christmas tree every year, but I imagine they began on Christmas trees decades ago when my mom was a child. The angel at the top took me 30 minutes to pick out 4 years ago and I had to super glue the wings back on after I couldn't find my hot glue gun this year. There are 3 presents under the tree. Two are not real. Our Christmas tree is only up because Jon and I have a house now.
I ungracefully taped all of the cards we received this year up on the wall in the den so I could visually see everyone that took the time to give us one. One is from a parent at work who decided to give a card and small gift to the lessons coordinator. One has a stick pony drawn in, as I requested a pony for Christmas. One is so peculiar that it reminds me of its sender's craziness. And many are from family and friends that include pictures that remind me of how much everyone has grown over the years. Any other decorations are ideas from Pinterest, bought this year, or a gift to me.
After taking in all of this, it dawns on me that all of these are gifts from God. Any gifts you received this year - they came because God created someone that loves you. Or at least someone that loves Him enough that they want to materialistally show you His love for you. He was born on this day specifically to die for your sins - just because HE LOVES YOU.
I was originally planning to close this out more elegantly, but the truth of the matter is that another day of fun and craziness awaits us, so I must go. But when I say the old stand by, please understand where I am coming from on it and know that I wish the deepest joy for everyone:
However, there's a lot to like about Christmas. Most jobs are closed for the holiday. You get to see friends and family you haven't seen in awhile. The food. (<---See what I did there? I just dropped the verb all together to make the food the only part of the sentence. It's poor sentence structure, but a very accurate portrayal of my feelings for food.) Seeing the face of someone as they open the present you picked out for them. All of these are really great, but none of these is my favorite part of Christmas.
This may sound crazy, but my favorite part is the silence. The silence after the hustle and bustle of the holiday activities. The part where you get home and just sit in front of your Christmas tree and realize what all God has given you. This majestic part of Christmas is pretty much why I set our tree up. I can't believe all that has been given to me this year.
Upon my Christmas tree, there are some ornate, some dignified, and some tacky ornaments from years past...and I remember them all. Well, not my husband's, but I can imagine how elegant the 1983 train must have looked on the Christmas tree every year. I can imagine his mother's joy upon seeing the toy horse adorning the tree each year as Jon's toys got more and more complex and the "toy horses" of his childhood were now abandoned. How can I imagine this? Well, I have one heck of an imagination, but also, I have my block-elf that I made in 3rd grade on the tree. There's also the ornament that my aunt made and wrote my name and year on it in 1989. Also up there are faded ornaments that I don't remember not being on our Christmas tree every year, but I imagine they began on Christmas trees decades ago when my mom was a child. The angel at the top took me 30 minutes to pick out 4 years ago and I had to super glue the wings back on after I couldn't find my hot glue gun this year. There are 3 presents under the tree. Two are not real. Our Christmas tree is only up because Jon and I have a house now.
I ungracefully taped all of the cards we received this year up on the wall in the den so I could visually see everyone that took the time to give us one. One is from a parent at work who decided to give a card and small gift to the lessons coordinator. One has a stick pony drawn in, as I requested a pony for Christmas. One is so peculiar that it reminds me of its sender's craziness. And many are from family and friends that include pictures that remind me of how much everyone has grown over the years. Any other decorations are ideas from Pinterest, bought this year, or a gift to me.
After taking in all of this, it dawns on me that all of these are gifts from God. Any gifts you received this year - they came because God created someone that loves you. Or at least someone that loves Him enough that they want to materialistally show you His love for you. He was born on this day specifically to die for your sins - just because HE LOVES YOU.
I was originally planning to close this out more elegantly, but the truth of the matter is that another day of fun and craziness awaits us, so I must go. But when I say the old stand by, please understand where I am coming from on it and know that I wish the deepest joy for everyone:
Merry Christmas.
I like this! Very good. That is one of my favorite parts of Christmas too...
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