Perhaps there is a favorite hymn you enjoy at this time of year or something your family does as a Christmas tradition.
When I was a boy there were many things we did at Christmas time. Mom would make us boys do a little Christmas pagent just for she and Dad. One of us would do the song "The Little Drummer Boy," another would sing "Silent Night," and still another might have to read the Christmas story out of Luke.
Eventually we all rebelled and got to where we didn't like "performing" for our parents and any guests that might come to our house on Christmas.
Decorating a Christmas tree is another memory I hold dear. We would go and cut down a cedar usually.
Sometimes we'd have more than one Christmas tree. There would be one on our porch, another in the living room, and then sometimes we'd get a little one all decorated for our bedroom. We'd decorate it with glass ornaments, lights, and tinsel. I'd end up throwing gobs of tinsel on the tree thinking I was really making it pretty. NOT!
We also had a little manger scene with Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Shepeherds, animals, etc.
I think eventually the mice in the attic ate away at our little cresh and destroyed it for good.
Sometimes our little church would combine with the Methodist church and the children would sing Christmas songs for an evening worship service.
One neat thing the youth would do (I was way too young at the time) was to make baskets of fruit for shut ins and take them to them as they sang carols.
I had to stay home with Mom but that meant I got to see Red Skelton on our black and white Philco TV (rabbit ears.) He was soooo funny.
One time we went driving to see Christmas lights. Dad went into a subdivision that had one big circle of homes. He went round and round that subdivision! I thought perhaps he couldn't figure how to get out of there, but perhaps he was just being lazy and didn't want to drive us all over creation!
We used to love trying to guess what our presents were under the tree. I was quite mischievous and would tear the wrapping a little bit to see if I could tell what was under it. He he he.
Well no matter what your Christmas memory, I hope you remember the reason for the season.
God's gift to us of Jesus, our Saviour. He came to save us FROM sin, FOR a purpose, and OF grace.
When we see Jesus, we see God for Jesus is God with us. He is Emanuel!!
I hope this year you will make new memories and recall old ones.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
