Well, I guess I'll start off by saying Merry Christmas y'all. Now I want to ask something: What makes Christmas for you? Many things come to my mind when I think of Christmas. I think of decorating the Christmas tree with my family and reliving memories through our decorations, the tradition of making Christmas explode around our tree like my grandfather Honey would like it, cooking with my Mom in Christmas aprons, laughing my head off with my cousins, Christmas lights, the multiple church services I've gone to, the Christmas plays I have been in and helped with, the Christmas movies, and even the deaths of certain family members that have happened around Christmas time sadly. Now do these things make Christmas? Well, I suppose they could. These things are Christmas, but they do not MAKE Christmas.
So what makes Christmas? Think of the stable scene that we all know. It is actually quite dirty, I mean it was a place for animals. Mary is having her first born child, baby Jesus, and Joshua is about to be a father. (I have not gone through this clearly but I imagine that it is a very long and stressful night for both of them.) Animals surround the young couple watching as the Savior is born. The night didn't have a tree, it didn't lights, it didn't have a planned party with planned gifts or food. It was a silent night, a holy night (two favorite songs of mine), with a few screams from Mary I am sure and crying from baby Jesus, who just left Heaven for the real world. The night contained family and hope. Jesus, our savior, came to Earth to basically save us all in a few years. Without His birth, Easter would not happen and we would not be here, nor would you be here reading this post that is trying to express the love of Jesus. It seems like something we all know, Jesus is the reason for the season. But I do not think we fully realize how important Jesus's birth really is...Jesus came into this world with His Light and we carry that Light with us each and everyday. Jesus is the Light of the world. And we are meant to carry that Light to others, not just on Christmas, but always.
So there is my "sermon" for you. Please keep this in mind while you celebrate with your family over this break.
Thank you for reading and have a blessed day & Merry Christmas!
-Hannah