Believing in 'Christ'mas

by G.Parker

(This is part two.)

While I’d be the first to admit that I love the Christmas season because of the decorations, music and color – I have come to feel many times like the little girl in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas...where are you Christmas? Why can’t I find you? Several years ago when this movie first came out, that song would bring me to tears.

It’s hard to hang onto the spirit of Christ during the holiday season when commercialism is blasted at you from every side. I had gotten to the point where I didn’t even want to put a Christmas tree up. What was the point? We didn’t have money to provide the big gifts that the media said our children wanted. We didn’t have the resources to do anything other than a simple celebration. It took some changes in our hearts and a desire to teach our children true values that enabled me to greet the season with joy again.

We have found in our family that service is a big part of it. If we can do a service project together, it brings the season closer to our hearts. If we do simple gifts and not long lists of what we want from each other, it puts no financial strain on things and keeps the spirit going.

You’ll notice that in most all of the popular Christmas movies, none of them mention Christ. It has nothing to do with Christ. It’s all about greed and what we get. Not much about what we give, and if it is, it’s all the mystical joy of the season – not because the spirit of giving comes from Christ our Lord.

Along with the decorations and frivolity of the season, I do love the family get togethers. That is my favorite time of all. We have two parties that we can count on every year. Anything that conflicts with them is a deep frustration and usually gets shoved aside.

There is so much of Christmas that is in our hearts and relates to how we’ve grown up – what the season really means to us. Christmas is in the beautiful trees and the wonderful smells of food and candles. It’s in the singing and ringing of bells.

It’s in the wonder and joy that the Savior came to earth for us. That he was willing to become one of us to save us all. Regardless of if we now believe in Him or not – He loves us. He will always love us.

My hope and prayer this and every holiday season, is that we remember him in all that we do. That every decoration we put up is in HIS honor, that every gift we give is in remembrance of Him, and that every service we perform, we pay Him homage. Let the season be simple, beautiful and bring joy to your heart. Then we will become much like Scrooge in the Christmas Carol – we will have Christmas in our hearts all year round. Not the commercial kind – but the real kind. Where Christ the Lord reigns. Then there really will be Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!